Several Democratic candidates who won in the 2026 midterm elections campaigned on progressive policies, including government-funded healthcare, expanded taxpayer-funded social programs, higher taxes on wealthy Americans and corporations, and increased government intervention in the economy. Some also embraced proposals such as rent control, free public transportation, expanded abortion access and more lenient immigration policies.
The most left-leaning victors included Democratic Socialists and candidates advocating Medicare for All, wealth redistribution and major expansions of government-run programs.
During her campaign, Texas Gov.-elect Gina Hinojosa (pictured above) promised an immediate moratorium on AI data centers. Now that she has won, however, she tells CNN they might be acceptable, provided safeguards are in place.
"We need to stop what we are doing with data centers until we have those protections," she told anchor Jake Tapper the day after her election victory over incumbent Gov. Greg Abbott.
Bob Maginnis, a national security and military strategist who has developed a specialized focus on artificial intelligence, says Silicon Valley poured substantial money into selected Democratic campaigns in anticipation of the possibility that Democrats would gain power — a possibility that became reality.
"The AI community, the lobbyists, spent arguably $300 million on political interests this past election," he reports. "That's going to translate for the Democrats into something that will sustain their agenda, and so they're not going to turn totally against it."
But with some notable exceptions, he thinks conservatives' worst fears about managing the volatile but promising technology may be somewhat allayed.
"Democrats are not totally stupid when it comes to economic advancement and what we face with regard to competition with China," Maginnis states.
As with most issues, he expects this debate will ultimately come down to money.
"I do expect that they will listen to their own economists and conclude that going in the opposite direction is not in their party's best interest, much less the country's best interest," the strategist predicts.
