ICYMI: Ohioans In Lima Rally Against Jon Husted For Bringing Hundreds of Data Centers to Ohio

August 21, 2026

WLIO: ‘The group says Husted is blaming Ohioans for rising electric costs’

COLUMBUS, OHIO — In case you missed it, Lima City Councilwoman Jeannine Jordan, Shelby County farmer Chris Gibbs, and Ohioans facing skyrocketing electric bills rallied against Jon Husted for his record of bringing hundreds of data centers to Ohio while local communities were left with the bill.

Jon Husted blames Ohioans for data centers, telling listeners in a recent interview that “we are the problem.” While Husted blames families and local communities, Ohio electric bills are now projected to be over $800 for the summer — a massive increase.

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WLIO: Lima-area Democrats call for change as Ohio data center debate continues

About a dozen area Democrats gathered Tuesday to criticize comments made by U.S. Sen. Jon Husted during a recent podcast, saying his policies on data centers are contributing to higher electric rates in Ohio.

The group says Husted is blaming Ohioans for rising electric costs because of increased daily use of artificial intelligence, while they argue the state’s growing number of data centers is a major factor.

There are more than 200 data centers in Ohio, according to the Democrats at the rally. They called Husted the face of Ohio’s data center expansion and criticized what they described as closed-door dealings surrounding the industry.

Christopher Gibbs, chair of the Shelby County Democratic Party, said Husted’s record on utility rates has been a problem for Ohio.

“Jon Husted has been a disaster on utility rates from the first energy scandal that’s cost the state billions in tax revenue, plus his giveaway to data centers that have taken away all of the opportunities for our communities, our small communities, to make good decisions and take advantage of data centers and all of the work that it provides instead of being taken advantage of. And I’m calling him out right here, right today,” said Gibbs.

Lew Modic, a Democratic candidate for Allen County commissioner, said more transparency is needed when it comes to data center development.

“The way we have done this has been behind closed doors and so much secrecy Nobody knows what’s in it for us as a community long term and the information is not coming out,” said Modic.

Jeannine Jordan, the fourth Ward Lima City Council member, also criticized Husted.

“I think it’s important that we get rid of Husted and institute government that believes that we are the solution, not the problem,” said Jordan.

Lima News: Democrat rally criticizes Husted over data centers

With election season coming up, Allen County Democrats held a rally Tuesday against U.S. Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, in Lima’s Town Square, tying the senator to the ongoing debate in the state concerning the growth of data centers.

“I’ve been all over the state talking to residents, talking to rural folks, and what they’re concerned about is those nondiscretionary cost of kitchen table issues, and that includes utility rates,” said Chris Gibbs. “Jon Husted has been a disaster on utility rates. His giveaway to data centers has taken away all of the opportunities for our small communities to make good decisions, and takes advantage of data centers.”

A recent interview Husted had with Cleveland talk radio personality Bob Frantz was also brought up, and interview in which Husted said, “We just have to realize, we’re in this world in which we’ve created the demand for these data centers because we use all of these digital products that it processes, and if we don’t want them, then don’t use them. So understand, when we look in the mirror, we are the problem.”

[Lima Councilwoman Jeannine] Jordan responded by asserting that technology is too integrated into daily life to say that one can just pull the plug and reduce demand.

“Big corporations and tech are embedding it [AI] as part of our daily lives, we can’t opt out of it,” she said. “There’s a little bit of an abuser mentality there, a cycle that really is not fitting with what I understand with the American goals.”

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