This week, Republican primary voters are bracing (or they should be) for the impending attack by Congressman John Rose against U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn. Last week, I told you that we were likely a couple of weeks away from the media bombardment by Rose, who is desperate to cut into Blackburn’s substantial lead. I also said that I expected him to level an attack on Blackburn for voting to certify the 2020 election results. On Tuesday, Rose tweeted:

“On January 6, 2021, politicians lied, and patriots stood firm. I said I would object to the bogus elections in 6 states, and I did. My opponent for Governor said the same thing and didn’t keep her word.”

This is the shot across the bow, and with early voting slated for the middle of next month, Rose must broadcast this attack and possibly others in a meaningful (and expensive) way if he intends to win.

There is some speculation that Rose might merely be prepping for a 2030 run, presuming Blackburn, who is 74, would only serve one term. I don’t buy it. A statewide race in a state like Tennessee with up to 8 television markets and nearly 500 miles west to east is costly financially, physically, and mentally. If Blackburn remains healthy, there is no reason to believe at this point that she would not seek a second term. Rose’s million-dollar-plus positive television ad campaign has been largely uncontested, so the race has likely tightened some since the Beacon Center poll showing Blackburn with more than 60% of the GOP primary vote.

Data Center Drag

Blackburn, for her part, called for reconsideration of the location of a data center slated to be erected adjacent to the Nashville Zoo. She powerfully declared that the location was “not thoughtful and considerate.” However, Blackburn had no similar declarations about the data center planned for Fisk University, a 160-year-old historically Black university.

Jerri Green, the frontrunner in the Democratic primary, affirms that data centers are part of Tennessee’s economic future, but has pushed for more regulation and public input as a Memphis City Councilmember. Green also calls for water-conservation measures based on her experience with Elon Musk’s xAI in Memphis that some say threatens the community’s sand aquifer.

Independent candidate Lauren Pinkston wins for the most aggressive and specific stance on data centers. This week, Pinkston’s campaign released a statement calling for a statewide moratorium on data centers until Tennessee “enacts clear, enforceable standards.” Specifically, she wants to create requirements regarding water usage, minimum distances from schools and public institutions, mandatory input from local governments and their citizens, and more information about electric grid capacity and the impact on ratepayers. Pinkston is adamant that “Tennessee can have responsible growth and a tech-forward economy” without allowing data center developers to take advantage of local communities.

Congressman Rose, a long-time farmer as well as a businessman, has taken a strong position on data centers, but has not called for a pause on their construction. Rose says data centers should not be built in communities that cannot meet their own power needs first. Rose calls for the costs for new utility infrastructure to be borne by the corporation building the data center, rather than the ratepayer. Rose may be unaware that the legislature passed such a law in the recent General Assembly.

With high costs for basic goods and services, concerns about crime, immigration policy, and the quality of education positioned at the top of the list of voter concerns, some might see the debate about data centers as ancillary. However, candidates need contrast between themselves and opponents to distinguish their candidacies in the minds of voters. Growth of data centers and their regulation statewide could be the pivotal issue most of us didn’t have on our election-year “bingo card.”