Ohio's 9th Congressional district race: The candidates' records on data centers • Ohio Capital Journal
COLUMBUS, OH — JANUARY 03: Rep. Derek Merrin (R-Moclova Township) (center) during the Pledge of Allegiance at the opening day ceremonies of the 135th General Assembly of the State of Ohio, January 3, 2023, in the House Chamber at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Graham Stokes for Ohio Capital Journal)
The race for Ohio’s 9th U.S. Congressional district is one of the state’s most closely contested, and the candidates have contrasting records and positions when it comes to data center development.
Derek Merrin, the Republican nominee and former state representative who is facing long-time Ohio Democratic U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur in the November election, voted for Ohio’s data center tax breaks when he was an Ohio state representative in 2017. Kaptur has spoken out against data centers for draining power and water from local communities, saying the companies should pay for that, not the citizens.
Ohio’s data centers have received $2.5 billion in state and local tax incentive…