The Capitol Report, produced by WisPolitics.com — a nonpartisan, Madison-based news service that specializes in coverage of government and politics — provides a weekly analysis of issues being debated in Wisconsin state government. It is underwritten by the WNA and produced exclusively for its members. WisPolitics.com President Jeff Mayers is a former editor and reporter for the Associated Press and a former political writer for the Wisconsin State Journal.
By WisPolitics-State Affairs
Polls results are often subject to interpretation. There is debate over the sample, the sample size, the margin of error, the methodology and the number of undecideds.
Voters’ opinions on data centers, however, are quite stark. Advocates for data centers have a steep hill to climb to gain approval. Which is why you see politicians from both parties echoing the negative talking points on data centers.
The latest Marquette University Law School Poll shows a further drop in public opinion on data centers, with just 22% of surveyed registered voters saying the benefits of these projects outweigh the costs.
In the group’s latest survey, conducted in July, 76% of registered voters said the costs of data centers outweigh the benefits.
That’s a far cry from October 2025, when the survey found 44% thought benefits were greater and 55% thought the costs were greater.
The wording of the question differed between the two polls, with the earlier one referencing Microsoft deciding against building a data center following community opposition. The more recent poll just mentioned several large data centers being proposed or built in the state.
In the meantime, two other Marquette polls earlier this year found voters were souring on the massive projects, with a 29-70 split in mid-February and 30-69 in mid-March.
When broken down by political affiliation, the poll shows a majority of each partisan group saying data center costs outweigh their benefits.
Among Republicans, the share of those saying the costs are greater has risen from 53% in October 2025 to 55% in February, 62% in March and 67% this month in the latest poll.
Meanwhile, Democrats have signaled greater opposition but also more variability. The share of those saying data center costs are greater rose from 56% to 85% between October and February, before dipping to 77% in March and rising back up to 88% in this month’s poll.
The share of Independents saying costs outweigh benefits rose from 55% in October to 76% in February, 69% in March and 71% most recently.
Despite the controversy surrounding these projects, only 5% of respondents in the latest poll said data centers are their most important issue. The topic was overshadowed by inflation and the cost of living with 42% ranking it the most important, followed by illegal immigration and border security at 13% and health insurance at 9%.
The latest survey was conducted July 8-16 with 838 registered Wisconsin voters with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points.
For more, visit WisPolitics.com
The Capitol Report is written by editorial staff at WisPolitics.com, a nonpartisan, Madison-based news service that specializes in coverage of government and politics, and is distributed for publication by members of the Wisconsin Newspaper Association.
Copyright © WisPolitics.com
