Senate Candidate McMorrow Accused of Flip-Flopping on Data Centers, Utilities, and Corporate Money as West Michigan Voters Weigh In

State Sen. Mallory McMorrow Faces Criticism on Consistency as She Runs for US Senate

State Sen. Mallory McMorrow, who represents Royal Oak and is running for U.S. Senate, has come under fire from opponents for allegedly shifting her positions on key issues including data centers, corporate campaign donations, and utility regulation. The criticism has gained traction as the August 4 Democratic primary approaches and voters across Michigan, including those in West Michigan, seek clarity on where candidates stand on issues that will directly impact their communities.

The Data Center Contradiction

McMorrow has recently released a comprehensive seven-point plan to regulate AI data centers in Michigan. Her proposal would require developers to:

• Pay 100% of infrastructure, generation, and transmission costs needed to serve their facilities
• Source at least 90% of their projected electricity needs from renewable energy
• Create union jobs with living wages
• Publish monthly data on water and energy usage
• Pay annual contributions to a community reinvestment fund
• Ban non-disclosure agreements between tech companies and local governments

On the surface, these protections sound like they would shield Michigan families from the negative impacts of data center development. However, critics point to a stark contradiction in her voting record.

According to Head in the Office, a Michigan political podcast, McMorrow voted in favor of a bipartisan plan during the 2024 lame duck session that cut millions of dollars in sales and use taxes for AI data centers through 2050. The legislation was designed to accelerate AI development in the state by providing tax incentives to companies that invest $250 million and offer at least 30 jobs paying 150% of the local median wage.

The article notes that this legislation "dramatically accelerated the development of AI data centers in Michigan," yet McMorrow is now calling for guardrails against exactly the type of development she helped facilitate.

The Corporate Money Flip-Flop

The consistency concerns extend beyond data centers to McMorrow's positions on corporate campaign donations.

In a 2017 interview with Bustle, McMorrow defended taking corporate political action committee money, stating: "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 had previously posted on social media: "If we on the left continue to tear down candidates for taking money to win, we'll continue to lose."

But now, running for U.S. Senate, McMorrow has reversed course. She has pledged not to accept corporate PAC dollars in her Senate campaign, arguing that campaigns should be funded without corporate money.

The Detroit Metro Times reports that her state Senate campaign committee and leadership PAC accepted more than $120,000 from corporate PACs and business-aligned groups. This includes a $500 contribution from Dow's corporate PAC in March 2025, just a month before she launched her U.S. Senate campaign.

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

The Utility Connection for West Michigan

This utility money connection is particularly significant for West Michigan voters. DTE Energy serves northern and western Michigan, including Grand Rapids, Muskegon, and Kalamazoo. CMS Energy serves the southern and western portions of the state, including Detroit, Flint, and western Michigan areas. SEMCO Energy serves the southwest Michigan region.

McMorrow's data center plan would directly impact utility ratepayers, requiring developers to bear 100% of infrastructure costs. But voters in West Michigan may wonder if it's credible for a candidate who received nearly $20,000 from these utilities to now propose strict regulations that could affect utility pricing and development.

The Interview That Never Happened

Compounding the trust concerns, McMorrow's campaign canceled an April 2 interview that was scheduled with Head in the Office, a prominent Michigan political podcast. The podcast intended to ask McMorrow directly about how she reconciles her current positions with her previous statements and votes.

According to Head in the Office, the interview was specifically designed to give McMorrow a fair platform to explain the inconsistencies in her positions. The cancellation came with scheduling issues cited as the reason, though the podcast expressed skepticism about the explanation.

The podcast noted that McMorrow had previously said Democrats should "go into spaces that may feel a little bit uncomfortable, and be willing to have maybe three-hour long podcast conversations." The cancellation appears inconsistent with that stated philosophy.

What Opponents Are Saying

Abdul El-Sayed, McMorrow's progressive rival in the Senate race, has been vocal about the consistency concerns. According to the Detroit Metro Times, El-Sayed told private organizing callers that "Mallory waits until I take a position and then takes a halfway position, like two months later."

El-Sayed contrasted his eight years of consistent messaging with what he characterized as McMorrow's shifting positions. He emphasized that his consistency during his 2018 gubernatorial run included barring corporate PAC money, while McMorrow had accepted such funds until launching her Senate campaign.

Haley Stevens, a U.S. Representative from Birmingham, has also questioned McMorrow's positions, according to the Detroit Metro Times. Stevens represents Oakland County but has been involved in the state legislature and may be more familiar with McMorrow's legislative record.

McMorrow's Defense

A spokesperson for McMorrow's campaign told the Detroit Metro Times: "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."

The campaign also addressed the conflict of interest concerns regarding McMorrow's husband, Ray Wert, who previously worked for Radiant Nuclear, a company developing nuclear microreactors that could be used by data centers. A campaign spokesperson stated that Wert was no longer with the company as of early March 2026 and that his LinkedIn and social media pages showing current employment was an oversight.

The West Michigan Angle

For West Michigan voters, this story matters for several reasons:

1. 1.Data centers are coming to Michigan: With 15+ proposals already in communities across the state, including a 1.4-gigawatt facility planned by Oracle and OpenAI, voters in West Michigan will be directly impacted by data center decisions.

1. 1.Utility rates affect everyone: The three major utilities that donated to McMorrow's campaign are critical infrastructure providers for West Michigan families. How data center regulations affect utility pricing will directly impact household budgets.

1. 1.The Senate race is competitive: The Democratic primary for U.S. Senate is considered one of the most important races in the state. Michigan is a must-win seat for Democrats, and voters need to make informed choices about which candidate best represents their interests.

1. 1.Kalamazoo connection: McMorrow represents Royal Oak but her Senate campaign would affect voters in Kalamazoo and Jackson counties, where she currently serves in the state Senate.

What's at Stake

The August 4 Democratic primary will determine which Democrat faces Republican challenger in the general election. If Democrats do not win Michigan's Senate seat, Congressional majorities for a future Democratic president are in jeopardy, according to Head in the Office.

Voters across Michigan, including those in West Michigan, will need to decide whether they trust McMorrow's stated positions on data centers, corporate money, and utility regulation. The evidence suggests significant contradictions between her current proposals and her past votes and statements.

Looking Ahead

As the primary approaches, voters have an opportunity to demand clarity from candidates about their positions. McMorrow's cancellation of the podcast interview removes one potential avenue for her to directly address the questions being raised about her consistency.

The data center issue is particularly salient for Michigan given the state's push to become an AI hub. But without clear protections for ratepayers and communities, the development could have significant negative impacts on families across West Michigan and beyond.

Voters will need to weigh whether McMorrow's data center plan represents genuine policy evolution or a strategic repositioning that doesn't align with her legislative record. The answer to that question could determine who represents Michigan in the U.S. Senate for the next two years.