Mallory McMorrow Waffles on Data Center and Utility Positions as Michigan AI Expansion Accelerates

Michigan Senate Candidate's Shifting Stances Raise Questions Among Data Center Host Communities

State Sen. Mallory McMorrow, the Democratic frontrunner for the U.S. Senate in Michigan, has faced growing scrutiny over her evolving positions on corporate donations, data centers, and utility regulation as she campaigns for the Aug. 4 primary. Her waffling on key issues has raised concerns among voters and her opponents about where she stands on topics that directly impact West Michigan residents.

McMorrow entered the Senate race as a polished, media-savvy Democrat who built a national profile after a fiery 2022 speech on the state Senate floor condemning conservative Christians for using religious rhetoric to attack fundamental rights. But as the primary approaches, her shifting positions have opened up the race to intense scrutiny.

Corporate Money: From Acceptance to Rejection

McMorrow has presented herself as a candidate who believes campaigns should be run without corporate PAC dollars. Yet her voting record tells a different story. Her state Senate campaign committee and leadership PAC accepted more than $120,000 from corporate PACs and business-aligned groups, including a $500 contribution from Dow's corporate PAC in March 2025, a month before she launched her U.S. Senate campaign.

She also received nearly $20,000 from DTE Energy, CMS Energy, and SEMCO Energy, the major utilities that set energy rates for millions of Michigan residents, including those in West Michigan.

"I've learned through my time in the legislature that you can't talk out of both sides of your mouth, that people won't trust you," McMorrow said in an interview earlier this month. "And also, not only can we fund campaigns without corporate PAC dollars, but frankly, we need to."

But for years, McMorrow defended the practice. In a 2017 interview with Bustle, she said, "We'll never even win elections to get more seats at the table if we don't take advantage of every opportunity out there. Right now, money wins elections." She also previously posted on social media that, "If we on the left continue to tear down candidates for taking money to win, we'll continue to lose," before later deleting the post.

Abdul El-Sayed, McMorrow's progressive rival, has taken note. "McMorrow waits until I take a position and then takes a halfway position, like two months later," El-Sayed said on a private organizing call. "So some of us lead, and some of us follow, and I guess some of us get out of the way."

Data Centers: Voted for Tax Cuts, Now Wants Regulation

The contradictions extend to data centers, which have become a major issue for Michigan voters as hyperscale facilities expand across the state. McMorrow has released plans to better regulate hyperscale digital infrastructure, arguing that data centers in Michigan don't have to be developments fraught with transparency and environmental concerns.

Yet just last week, McMorrow voted in favor of legislation that cut millions of dollars in sales and use taxes for AI data centers through 2050, provided they invest $250 million and offer at least 30 jobs paying 150% of the local median wage. That proposal has dramatically accelerated the development of AI data centers in Michigan.

One of the most recent projects is a $16 billion Oracle-OpenAI data center campus in Saline Township, Washtenaw County, which has received approval for a 1.3 GW battery portfolio from DTE Electric. The portfolio includes 332 MW of battery storage directly tied to the data center, with Oracle paying 100% of construction and operating costs under a 15-year Energy Storage Agreement.

While supporting the Oracle campus, these battery assets remain multi-purpose, able to contribute to grid reliability and flexible load management. The approval represents one of the largest single-day storage approvals in Michigan's history.

The Impact on West Michigan

West Michigan communities face unique challenges with the AI data center boom. In Dowagiac, residents report growing frustration with the incessant noise from a nearby Hyperscale data center facility. Terry Raab, a Dowagiac resident, told WWMT News Channel 3 that he no longer wants to open his windows in the summer because of the insufferable noise.

"If we want to resell the house, who's going to want to buy the house with that noise?" Raab said. "No one's going to want to buy."

Beyond the noise, data centers bring other concerns. They require significant amounts of energy to operate, which can cause electricity shortages in surrounding areas, increase nearby residents' bills, and disproportionately contribute to pollution. The International Energy Agency noted that data centers accounted for 1.5% of global electricity consumption in 2024, with expectations that this will worsen as tech companies scale up their AI output.

Data centers also use vast quantities of water to cool overheating systems. The Environmental and Energy Study Institute noted that large data centers can consume up to 5 million gallons per day, enough to supply a town of up to 50,000 people. Not only does that strain freshwater supplies for nearby residents, but it can also negatively affect crop growth and harm aquatic habitats.

McMorrow's Campaign Response

When questioned about these apparent contradictions, McMorrow's campaign spokesperson Hannah Lindow told the Detroit Metro Times that "Mallory's process for how she comes to decisions has always been the same: looking at the facts on the ground, assessing them as they change, and making the best decision for the people she represents."

That's what everybody deserves in their U.S. Senator," Lindow said.

El-Sayed, by contrast, has consistently barred corporate PAC money, including during his 2018 gubernatorial run. He said the difference between him and McMorrow isn't just ideology, but consistency. "I've been saying the same things for eight years, since I got into politics," El-Sayed said. "I didn't shift."

What West Michigan Voters Need to Know

As Michigan braces for potentially record-breaking AI data center development, with projects totaling up to $16 billion in Saline Township alone, voters across the state face critical questions about who will represent their interests in Washington.

The energy costs, environmental concerns, and quality-of-life impacts that data centers bring to communities like Dowagiac and potentially other West Michigan towns require candidates who can clearly articulate their positions and hold them steady.

McMorrow's record of taking corporate PAC money from companies like DTE Energy while now advocating for regulation of utilities and data centers raises fundamental questions about her consistency and her ability to represent the needs of working-class voters.

Her cancellation of a scheduled interview with Head in the Office, a Michigan political podcast, further fueled speculation about whether she is avoiding uncomfortable questions about her positions.

As the Aug. 4 primary approaches, West Michigan voters and Michiganders across the state must decide whether they can trust a candidate who has shifted on corporate money, data centers, and utility regulation, or whether they need someone who has maintained their positions for years.