The Republican challenger to Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro wants to turn data centers into a campaign wedge against the Democratic incumbent.
Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity, the GOP nominee for governor, is calling for a “total data center pause.” While Garrity previously supported the sector, she is now trying to draw a contrast with Shapiro — himself an early data center cheerleader who’s gradually grown more critical as the public sours on their impacts.
After Shapiro last week released a framework for regulating new data centers, Garrity called the governor’s proposals “damage control” following his past efforts to attract data centers to the commonwealth.
“Josh Shapiro spent the last year rolling out the red carpet for massive data center development in Pennsylvania,” Garrity said in a video posted last week. “But now, after communities across our commonwealth have started raising serious concerns, he wants you to believe he is suddenly the one putting up guard rails.”
