Jack,
Today, Fran was featured on the cover of TIME magazine alongside eight other Americans from across the political spectrum who are calling for guardrails on unchecked AI expansion.
From the article:
A democratic socialist, Hong has prioritized the issue of affordability for working-class people. The proliferation of data centers has become central to that conversation.
She criticizes the tax breaks that many data centers receive to set up shop; the NDAs signed by officials that keep citizens in the dark on many details; and the failed promises of previous projects. In Mount Pleasant, Wis., the TV-manufacturing factory run by tech company Foxconn promised to create 13,000 jobs and required more than $1 billion in public spending before sputtering in value and being converted into a data center.
With that debacle fresh in mind, campaigns to defeat proposed data centers have cropped up across the state, successfully halting projects in Caledonia and Menominee. Hong co-drafted a statewide data-center moratorium bill in February.
“We’re focused on strong local economies where there are long-term gains and positive impact,” she says, “and we’re not seeing that from places across the country that have constructed these AI data centers.” Hong says her stance reflects the position of the state. “It’s important to see this as a democracy issue,” she says. “Folks are exercising their right to have their voices heard.”
Fran has been a leader on AI data center regulation since day one, co-authoring legislation like the Data Center Pause and Utility Rate Cap bills: common-sense protections so communities don’t get stuck with higher costs, environmental fallout, and sweetheart deals that benefit corporations more than residents.
As governor, Fran’s Control-Alt-Delete plan will put real guardrails on AI data centers—so any future project guarantees real benefits for Wisconsin. That means transparency, no cost-shifting onto ratepayers, meaningful environmental safeguards, and job standards that actually raise the floor for working people.
We have a rare opportunity right now: a major national spotlight, a clear contrast, and a message that’s breaking through.
But we can’t capitalize on momentum without resources.
Fran is the only candidate willing to stand up to these corporations.
She’s going to lose out on big, fat checks from developers -- because she’s working for you.
We need you to step up NOW to support her.
With gratitude,
— Team Hong
