Virginia Congressional Candidates Target Data Center Tax Policies

Norfolk Portsmouth Newport News, VA, September 21, 2026 —

In Virginia’s Norfolk-Portsmouth-Newport News region, Democratic congressional candidates Tom Perriello and Beth Macy are campaigning on platforms that include opposition to data centers. Their focus is directed at Republican incumbents John McGuire and Ben Cline, specifically referencing their past votes on tax policies related to the industry.

Tom Perriello has accused Representative John McGuire of supporting a significant corporate tax break that he states benefits data centers. Perriello’s campaign highlights this vote as a point of contention.

Similarly, Beth Macy has drawn attention to Representative Ben Cline’s voting record. Macy points to multiple instances where Cline voted for sales tax exemptions for data centers. The trend summary notes that these votes by Cline occurred in the state legislature several years ago and under different economic conditions than those present today.

The campaign narratives suggest that these tax breaks are actively being used by data centers operating within the region. However, the trend summary also indicates that the broader context surrounding the creation of these tax policies and the full economic impact of the data center industry are complexities that have not been extensively detailed within the candidates’ campaigns.

The financial details or specific amounts of the tax breaks, as well as the exact timing of the votes being referenced, were not provided in the summary. The current status of any ongoing legislative review or debate regarding these tax policies was also not detailed.

Story summarized from the original created by Dwayne Yancey on cardinalnews.org, see more information here.

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