Bottoms, Jackson trade hypocrisy claims in bitter clash over Georgia data centers
ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — Rising power bills and the explosive growth of data centers collided in Georgia’s race for governor Monday, as Democratic nominee Keisha Lance Bottoms called for an immediate statewide freeze on new projects while Republican rival Rick Jackson pushed back against a blanket ban.
Speaking outside the Cobb County government complex, where commissioners have extended a local moratorium on data center development through February 2027, Bottoms warned that rapid industry expansion is threatening the state’s energy grid and consumers’ wallets.
“We don’t need to take another step forward in this state until we fully understand what the impact will be on consumers and what the impact will be on people across Georgia,” Bottoms said.
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Bottoms pointed to recent reports regarding Jackson’s personal financial stake in Data Hub Developers, LLC, a company proposing a hyperscale facility in rural Bowie County, Texas. Her campaign accused Jackson of using non-disclosure agreements to push the project past local residents concerned about water usage, air pollution and falling property values.
“It seems as if he has his hands in just about every single thing that’s an issue in our state right now,” Bottoms said. “He owns data centers. We know that he is making money through his healthcare companies.”
Public Service Commissioner Peter Hubbard and state Democratic lawmakers joined Bottoms at the podium, echoing her calls for transparency and local control.
“Right now, in Texas, Rick Jackson’s data center project is using nondisclosure agreements to hide critical information from the public because he knows that what he’s doing is unpopular,” Hubbard said, pointing to a Texas petition opposing the development.
State Sen. RaShaun Kemp, who introduced legislation to ban nondisclosure agreements tied to utility consumption, argued that Georgia needs a leader who will ensure “communities get the best fair share that they can get in these deals.”
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Jackson’s campaign fired back swiftly, labeling Bottoms a hypocrite and pointing to her record as Atlanta mayor. Jackson campaign spokesman Garrison Douglas noted that Bottoms previously chaired the Invest Atlanta board during its 2018 and 2019 approvals of up to $440 million in bond financing and a 15-year property tax abatement for the Coda data center at Georgia Tech.
Bottoms’ campaign argued the Midtown Atlanta transaction took place years ago, well before the current artificial intelligence boom placed unprecedented strain on Georgia’s electrical grid.
Jackson, who disclosed his stake in Datahub Developers, LLC on his state financial filings in April, rejected the call for an outright statewide freeze. Instead, he argued that projects must meet strict local thresholds.
“No new data center should be approved unless the local community supports it, it provides real local benefits, does not increase local utility costs, and it meets strict environmental standards,” Jackson said during a recent policy rollout.
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Jackson’s team insisted the Texas development moved through all legally required public approval channels and shifted the ethics spotlight back onto Bottoms.
The Jackson campaign points to state filings showing that Bottoms reported earning between $250,000 and $500,000 in both 2024 and 2025 through her private advisory firm, KRLB, LLC, along with earnings while serving in the Biden White House, without disclosing the underlying clients.
“Keisha Lance Bottoms is the definition of a two-faced, double-talking politician,” Douglas said in a statement. “She supported data centers in office but attacks them on the campaign trail. She demands Rick disclose what is already public while hiding who paid her up to $1 million.”
When reporters asked her whether she would disclose who paid her firm, Bottoms issued a direct challenge.
“I’ll make my client list available at the exact same time that Rick Jackson makes his investments available to the public,” Bottoms said.
Georgia voters will soon begin deciding the contest, with early voting scheduled to begin Oct. 13.
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