COLUMBIA, S.C. — The statewide fight over data centers and the economic investment they promise has moved from county council chambers into the U.S. Senate race voters will settle Nov. 3, where an industry-backed super PAC is pouring money into ads to help Republican Sen. Darline Graham hold her seat against Democrat Annie Andrews.
The group, Building the Future, has reserved roughly $1.5 million in advertising for Graham. Its Federal Election Commission filings show about $1.3 million in independent expenditures so far, reported Oct. 15, including about $889,000 for media placement and the rest for text messaging, production and more ad buys. The committee had not yet disclosed any donors.
Its two ads, which started airing Oct. 17, do not mention data centers at all. Instead they focus on Graham’s work leading the state commission that serves blind residents.
The PAC is tied to a pro-artificial intelligence political network called Leading the Future and its advocacy arm, Build American AI, and its stated priorities include more data centers, more energy infrastructure and candidates who back American leadership in AI. South Carolina is its first major test.
The two Senate candidates are far apart on the issue. Andrews wants new data center projects paused for two years. Graham opposes moratoriums, casting the facilities as a national security matter in the technology race with China while saying communities should have a say.
Graham was appointed in July after the death of her brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham, and won the Aug. 25 Republican runoff over Rep. Ralph Norman. She has trailed Andrews in fundraising, and other outside groups backing candidates in the contest have reported millions more in spending.
The issue will not end with the election. State senators are already drafting data center rules on water use, power supply and disclosure for the 2027 legislative session.
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