Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) is maneuvering to give three vulnerable Republican incumbents a legislative boost by bringing two House-passed bills to the floor on Wednesday. The measures target the explosive growth of AI-driven data centers and the contentious issue of lawmakers profiting from stock trades, moves that could reshape the political landscape in Ohio, Nebraska, and Alaska.
The three senators—Jon Husted of Ohio, Pete Ricketts of Nebraska, and Dan Sullivan of Alaska—are facing stiff reelection fights. Their outcomes could determine whether Thune retains his leadership position in 2027. Political handicappers increasingly see a path for Democrats to reclaim the Senate, a scenario that seemed unlikely at the start of the cycle.
Democrats, however, are preparing to block the bills, labeling them as “watered down” and little more than a political rescue mission. Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), a centrist who has been a key swing vote, told The Hill on Tuesday that she plans to vote against the data center legislation, calling it “has no teeth” and dismissing it as “just a pivot.” She argued it “sure seems like” a bailout for Husted, who has been “real friendly to data centers.”
In Ohio, recent polls show former Sen. Sherrod Brown (D) leading Husted by an average of nearly 4 points. Brown has hammered Husted as “the face of data centers in Ohio,” with an ad accusing him of “aggressively recruiting data centers” and “cutting sweetheart tax deals and fast-tracking approvals while ordinary residents watch their electricity bills explode.” Rosen echoed that sentiment, calling the vote a “last-ditch effort for a candidate who is way underwater in his state.”
The political stakes are equally high in Nebraska and Alaska. Ricketts is locked in a tight race against Independent Dan Osborn, while Sullivan is neck and neck with former Rep. Mary Peltola (D). Osborn has attacked Ricketts over data centers, posting a photo of the senator at a Facebook data center groundbreaking with the caption “Pete loves data centers,” and has criticized Ricketts for earning an estimated $10 million in the stock market in April 2025 amid tariff-driven volatility.
Thune is betting that the two bills—the Ratepayer Protection Act and the Stop Insider Trading Act—will give his incumbents cover to argue they are addressing voter concerns. “It makes it pretty hard for Democrats to make that argument” that Husted is the “face of data centers” or that Ricketts and Sullivan are profiting from stock trades if they block the measures, Thune told reporters. He emphasized that both bills passed the House with broad bipartisan support and would go straight to the president’s desk if they clear the Senate.
The Ratepayer Protection Act, sponsored by Husted, would ask states to consider requiring data centers to cover infrastructure upgrade costs tied to their massive energy consumption. It passed the House on Sept. 16 by a vote of 417-3. The Stop Insider Trading Act, sponsored by Ricketts, would bar members of Congress, their spouses, and dependent children from buying new stocks and require public notice before selling existing ones. It also includes a provision requiring photo ID for voters, a key element of the SAVE America Act. The bill passed the House in July by a vote of 232-198, with only 13 Democrats supporting it.
Thune framed the votes as a chance for Democrats to prove their sincerity on these issues. “If you’re really serious about doing something on data centers, then voting for Husted’s bill would be a great solution,” he said. “If you’re concerned about members using the knowledge and information they have here in some sort of a financial way, then passing the stock act would be a great way to address it.”
The maneuvering comes as Democrats see a path to a Senate majority with tightening polls in red states. Thune’s strategy is a high-stakes gamble, as a failure to pass the bills could embolden Democratic attacks, while a successful vote could neutralize a key line of criticism. The outcome will be a test of whether legislative action can shift the political winds in these critical races.
Meanwhile, the broader political landscape remains volatile, with sky-high fuel costs and international conflicts widening the Senate map, further complicating Republican efforts to hold the chamber. Thune’s move is a clear attempt to seize the initiative, but Democrats are unlikely to give him an easy win.
