Data centers have emerged as a divisive issue among Alabama Republican primary voters, with a stark age and gender divide separating those who view the facilities as good for the state from those who see them as harmful, according to exclusive polling conducted for Gray Television Alabama stations and Alabama Daily News.
) - Data centers have emerged as a divisive issue among Alabama Republican primary voters, with a stark age and gender divide separating those who view the facilities as good for the state from those who see them as harmful, according to exclusive polling conducted for Gray Television Alabama stations and Alabama Daily News .
The survey of 500 likely Republican primary voters found just 22% think data centers are good for Alabama, while 25% say they’re bad for the state. The largest share, 37%, said data centers are a mix of good and bad, while 16% were unsure. Dozens of Birmingham residents rallied against a proposed AI factory off Lakeshore Parkway, gathering to protest a project they say threatens their quality of life.
“The voters certainly are split on this,” said Alabama Daily News publisher Todd Stacy. “But what this result shows me is that they’re begging for information. They’re begging for better information. When you see a mix of good and bad like that, uh, that’s, that means the companies need to do, and the, uh, the municipalities and the state need to do a better job of explaining why they’re locating here.
”The demographic split on data centers is dramatic. Men 65 and older show a net positive rating of plus-9 on data centers being good for the state, while women under 65 show a net negative rating of minus-9, an 18-point gap between the two groups. Men under 65 are split, with 32% saying data centers are good and 23% saying they’re bad. Women 65 and older show similar division at 21% good and 22% bad.
The gender gap persists across age groups. Overall, 32% of men view data centers as good for Alabama compared to just 13% of women, a 19-point difference. Geographic patterns show Mobile as the only major media market where a plurality of voters think data centers are good for Alabama. In Mobile, 24% say data centers are good, 18% say bad, and 34% say a mix of good and bad.
By contrast, Birmingham shows 16% good, 22% bad, and 43% mixed. Montgomery voters are at 24% good, 24% bad, and 34% mixed. Huntsville sits at 23% good, 31% bad, and 34% mixed. % of people who think data center’s are bad for AlabamaRural voters show more skepticism than urban voters.
Among rural Republicans, 24% view data centers as good compared to 12% of urban voters. However, rural voters are also more likely to view them as bad at 22% compared to 16% of urban voters. Legislature’s recent expansion of the Public Service Commission to seven members elected by congressional district and creation of a Secretary of Energy position Overall, 59% approve of the new law, including 30% who strongly approve and 29% who somewhat approve.
Just 10% disapprove, while 12% neither approve nor disapprove and 19% are unsure.
“I think if I’m, you know, in the legislature and somebody who voted for that law, I’d say that’s, that’s good, but it’s probably going to be incumbent on me and all of those who supported it to really explain it going forward and explain what’s happening,” Stacy said. “I think there is an expectation out there that whatever the legislature did was intended, which it was, to its, at some point, lower electricity costs or reign them in,” Stacy explained.
Catch up on WBRC’s coverage regarding Alabama’s power bills and the public service commission by clicking or tappingRepublican primary voters are divided on whether Alabama should require voters to register with a political party to vote in that party’s primary election. Overall, 36% support such a requirement, while 38% oppose it. Another 14% neither support nor oppose and 11% are unsure.
“During the legislative session, the proponents of this mainly from the Alabama Republican Party and some members of the legislature would argue to their blue in the face that this is something Alabama Republicans want, that the base must have this,” Stacy said. “They are demanding this. Well, this is a poll of Republican voters, and most of them say they don’t want this. Most of them actually oppose this.
” Voters who participated in all four of the last primary elections support closed primaries at 41% compared to 31% of those who voted in two or fewer of the last four primaries. The Legislature considered but did not pass a closed primary bill this year. The survey was conducted by Cygnal using online panel and text-to-web methods with known registered voters. Results were weighted to a likely 2026 Republican primary election voter universe.
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