The New York Times reported last week that Mr. Huang had a close relationship with an executive that U.S. officials determined was funneling information to Chinese intelligence.
A request for Jensen Huang, Nvidia’s chief executive, to speak represented a shift for Republican congressional leaders, who have largely taken a hands-off approach to the tech industry.
As political fights over artificial intelligence accelerate, there is now a super PAC aligned with the data center industry. Its first bet is on Ms. Graham, a Republican in an unexpectedly tight race.
Senator Darline Graham of South Carolina has been friendlier toward the data center industry than her Democratic opponent, trying to walk a line between backing the centers’ development as a national security necessity while stressing the need for community involvement.
In Ohio, many voters say their frustration about the increase in electricity and fuel prices and the growth of data centers won’t influence whom they vote for.
In interviews, Ohio residents described data centers as threats to their communities. But many of them said the issue was not driving their choice for senator or governor.
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