Republican nominee for Michigan governor John James took his message on data centers to Saline Township Friday.
James spoke near farmland that borders a massive data center project connected to tech companies OpenAI and Oracle.
The local government had first tried to block the project, relenting after being faced with lawsuits. Some area officials attended a ceremonial groundbreaking for the data center this past summer.
James has made “local control” a key part of his data center policy vision, blaming the state government for helping recruit projects by offering tax breaks.
“I believe very strongly that Michigan is open for business. But we are not for sale. And, ultimately if you want a data center, fine, we’ll help. If you don’t want a data center, fine, we’ll help. But, ultimately, the control should be by the locals, not dictated by Lansing and lawyers and lobbyists,” James said during the press conference.
James, an incumbent Republican Congressman, said this is an area where he breaks with President Donald Trump.
The Trump administration has been a large supporter of AI research and advancement, often trying to block local pushback. Earlier versions of Trump’s signature legislation, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, included language that would have limited states and communities’ ability to regulate AI.
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson accused James of voting against local control while supporting the OBBBA in committee and on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives.
“He has voted four times to block local control. Four times to block communities from having a voice in data centers,” Benson said during a campaign stop in Flint Friday.
Benson has faced her own baggage related to the Saline Township project. Her husband works for Related Companies, one of the partners that helped secure the Saline Township project. Benson said her husband has stepped away from any projects in Michigan.
But James still accused her of profiting off data centers.
“I wonder if she’s willing to own up to the fact that her family has personally benefited to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars because of this right here,” James said, pointing to the construction over his shoulder.
Despite the back and forth, the candidates’ positions on what to do about data centers aren’t entirely different.
Both are calling for a moratorium on new projects while lawmakers figure out more regulations. Each plan also calls for policies to protect the environment and Michigan residents against being charged for large-scale data centers’ massive power needs.
State regulators say some of those protections are already required by the utility contracts the state’s Public Service Commission has approved so far.
State lawmakers on both sides of the aisle and the governor have already called to make those utility requirements state law. Nothing has passed yet this legislative term.
Another point of difference between the candidates is where each plan would prioritize siting these projects. James wants to put them on existing industrial sites rather than farmland, like in Saline Township.
James supporter and Washtenaw County resident Ron Zimmerman said that idea worked for him.
“Why does it need to be taking farmland and food capacity away from, not only Michigan, but the rest of the world. People want to talk about food insecurity. Why are we taking the supply out?” Zimmerman said.
Zimmerman said he wasn’t against data centers altogether. Rather, he was concerned about how they come to a community.
