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Official portrait of Mike Rounds

Mike Rounds

Republican · SD Senate SUPPORTS DATA CENTERS
Outside AI PAC Money: $229.7K
SUPPORTS DATA CENTERS mascot

Position on Hyperscale Data Centers

  • Co-chair of the Senate AI Caucus and champion of domestic artificial intelligence infrastructure, warning against slowing development and emphasizing global technological competitiveness (SD Searchlight / Yahoo News).
  • Praised state guardrails on hyperscalers while supporting project recruitment: “The governor and the legislature have already put strict guidelines on data centers in South Dakota, and the top of that list is local control. Data centers shouldn't raise local utility rates; in fact, they should lower them” (Dakota News Now).
  • Backed by more than $815,000 in AI and tech-linked contributions, including over $215,000 from employees and PACs tied to OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and Meta, alongside outside Super PAC spending (WIRED / Zetik). Former chief of staff and campaign advisor serves as a registered Meta lobbyist.

Verified Quotes & Evidence

"The governor and the legislature have already put strict guidelines on data centers in South Dakota, and the top of that list is local control. Data centers shouldn't raise local utility rates; in fact, they should lower them. And local communities should decide whether or not to welcome them."
Date: 2026-09-04
→ Source: Dakota News Now