Backlash Over $6B Data Center Flips Festus City Council

April 9, 2026 – Voters in Festus, Missouri, removed every council incumbent up for reelection Tuesday, one week after officials approved a framework for a $6 billion data center project.

The council voted March 30 to advance the proposal from Clayco Realty Group to build a large-scale data center on roughly 360 acres north of Highway 67. By Tuesday, April 7, voters had replaced all four council members who supported the plan.

The results flipped half of the eight-member council and marked a sharp political reversal driven by concerns over transparency and public input.

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