GoKawiilData center backlash threatens GOP's Byron Donalds in Florida governor race
Republican candidate Byron Donalds, who has Trump's endorsement and roughly $148 million in campaign funding largely tied to the tech industry, faces defections from GOP voters angered by his support for data center development. Patti Zirhut, a lifelong Republican and anti-data-center organizer in Hernando County, says she will not vote for Donalds and is considering backing Democratic opponent David Jolly instead. Jolly, a former Republican, says opposition to data centers is stronger among Republicans than Democrats in Florida.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The episode suggests local infrastructure fights over AI and data center expansion could scramble traditional partisan loyalties, with some conservative voters framing the issue as resistance to 'Big Tech' surveillance and land encroachment, according to Jolly. If true in Florida, this dynamic could signal a broader vulnerability for candidates closely tied to tech-industry money in races where data centers are being built in rural or suburban areas.
- Byron Donalds, backed by Trump and tech-industry donors, is losing support from some Republican voters over data center development.
- Patti Zirhut, a GOP activist opposing data centers in Hernando County, says she won't vote for Donalds and may back Democrat David Jolly.
- Jolly argues data center opposition is stronger among Republicans than Democrats in Florida, framing it as resistance to Big Tech influence.
Source: theverge.com — Gadel Valle, 2026-11-02
Published there as: “Could data center backlash flip Florida?”
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