Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley has expressed support for data centers and opposes banning them. He wants Wisconsin to be the “data hub” for the world.
“There’s an opportunity for us to really become AI and a data hub not only for the entire country, but for the entire globe,” said Crowley at a forum. Watch the video here.
🚨BREAKING: @DavidCCrowley wants Wisconsin to become a data center hub for the “entire globe.”
“There’s an opportunity for us to really become AI and a data hub not only for the entire country, but for the entire globe,” said Crowley. pic.twitter.com/pTOysnHvci
— Tom Tiffany (@TomTiffanyWI) August 14, 2026
What about Tom Tiffany? Republican Congressman Tom Tiffany said in an interview that he would end subsidies for data centers that Gov. Tony Evers signed, work to lower utility rates, and ban nondisclosure agreements.
“Well it sounds like David Crowley will give a blank check to data centers,” Tiffany said. “They do not need to be subsidized by us, the taxpayers, and we’re gonna make sure that people’s electricity rates do not go up. We’re going to make sure that we have full transparency.”
Crowley was also asked on network television, “Can you name one issue where you disagree most with Francesca Hong?”
He didn’t choose the socialist’s stances on abolishing police and prisons or cancelling Thanksgiving. Instead, he responded: “Data centers.” In the longer clip, Crowley stressed that, while Francesca Hong wanted a moratorium on data centers, he doesn’t believe a moratorium “would actually work.”
NBC: “Can you name one issue where you disagree most with Francesca Hong?”@DavidCCrowley: “Data centers.”
So, not abolishing the police or prisons? 🧐 pic.twitter.com/RppLoygWNv
— Tom Tiffany (@TomTiffanyWI) August 13, 2026
Crowley previously had a somewhat more nuanced version on data centers, saying that government should not be able to enter into non-disclosure agreements to pass a data center.
Crowley made it clear in that interview that he thinks the state should be hands-off on data centers, letting local governments decide. He said that local units of government should be able to amend or reject a data center agreement. He said that a moratorium wouldn’t work for data centers that are “already here.” Crowley does want guardrails on data centers.
In another interview, Crowley indicated that he supports data centers but wants them to pay their own way.
There’s one consistent theme in all of this. Crowley supports the existence of data centers and wouldn’t ban them completely.
“The moratorium doesn’t focus on what we currently have here. It’s only focusing on the possibility of data centers that will come in the future,” he said, while adding that he wants to protect land and water.
