Michigan, Kansas and Wisconsin debates spotlight the economy, Iran war and the race to build out data centers
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Final debates in key Senate and governor contests showed candidates leaning on culture-war talking points, while the economy, the war in Iran and the push for rural data-center expansion dominated the stage. President Donald Trump’s comments about Russia also drew sharp criticism.
Candidates in three closely watched races held their final debates as Election Day approaches. In Michigan, Republican Rep. Mike Rogers and Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed sparred over ties to President Donald Trump, with Rogers trying to put distance between himself and the president while El-Sayed rejected insinuations about Islamist groups. Both also addressed the economy, artificial intelligence and trade, underscoring how working families are still being asked to live with the fallout of corporate power and political gamesmanship.
In Kansas, Republican Sen. Roger Marshall defended most of President Trump’s agenda, including tariffs and a proposed lift of sanctions on Russian diesel exports, while Democratic challenger Adam Hamilton, a megachurch pastor, said Marshall’s approach to the war in Iran was dangerously misguided and cast himself as a Democrat willing to break with party orthodoxy when needed.
The Wisconsin governor’s debate featured Republican Tom Tiffany promising tax cuts and a return of surplus funds, while Democrat David Crowley called for a "fair tax system" to support education and infrastructure as the state prepares for its first open governor’s race since 2010, a contest that will test whether public investment can still compete with reflexive austerity politics.
Separately, an analysis of big-tech data center development showed that abundant land, cheap electricity and water are driving Amazon, Microsoft and Google to build facilities in rural America. The study projects that the number of rural data centers could triple, with associated energy use also expected to more than triple current capacity, raising obvious concerns about environmental strain and the burdens pushed onto local communities. Residents in affected Oregon counties remain divided on the projects’ impact.
President Donald Trump’s recent remarks toward Russian President Vladimir Putin have been described by experts as an attempt to encourage negotiations over the war in Ukraine. Trump’s lead negotiator, Steve Witkoff, referred to Putin as a "humanitarian" for the release of an American teacher, a comment that drew criticism from some Republican lawmakers. Former national-security adviser Robert O’Brien, who served in Trump’s first term, said that portraying Trump as fully aligned with Ukraine would hinder any potential talks with Putin.