Utah Senate President J. Stuart Adams lost his Republican primary after supporting the proposed Stratos AI data center near the Great Salt Lake. Former Box Elder County Commissioner Lee Perry also lost after voting to advance the project. Perry said, “Do I think that the data center vote cost me the election? Yes I do,”
Adams backed the proposal while leading the state authority that approved the site’s early plans. His challenger opposed the project during the campaign. Commissioners who voted to advance the proposal also lost their primary races.
The proposed Stratos development is planned for Hansel Valley in Box Elder County. Early plans called for a facility requiring up to nine gigawatts of electricity. Developers later said they were willing to reduce the project’s size.
AI Data Center Backlash Puts Utah Election Under National Spotlight
The election result quickly became a broader discussion about whether voters had sent a warning to elected officials over AI data center projects.
One user summed up that sentiment by writing, “Listen. Or leave. That simple.” Another added, “A lot of voters like to believe they have no power because it means nothing is their fault. Politicians do respond to public sentiment because they want to keep their jobs.”
Another added, “The fact that this data center has caused this much of an uproar and got people to finally pay attention to who they’re voting for makes me have at least a little hope for my state.”
Not everyone viewed the election as evidence of a broader political shift. One user noted, “This was a republican primary, wasn’t it? They are still electing a republican.” Another questioned the long-term impact, writing, “No he’ll just run again on the platform of no data center ever and then day one approve a data center and it’ll take years to replace him…”
With more AI data center proposals under consideration across the country, debates over electricity demand, water use and local approval continue.
