Voters in Portage County were part of a statewide blue wave Tuesday, narrowly selecting Democrat Jenny Adams for county commissioner over a Republican incumbent.
Portage County, which has trended red in recent elections, is one of four in the region to see a commissioner’s seat go from a Republican to a Democrat.
Adams said she expects that the blue wave played a role in her success, but she also believes her ideas resonated with the community. She campaigned on several issues, like fiscal responsibility, resources for mental health, and veterans’ services.
Adams said data centers stood out as a top priority for Portage County residents, who are concerned about a possible data center development in Shalersville Township.
“They're more interested in preserving sort of the, the county feel, the neighborly feel, and having peace and quiet in their backyards,” she said. “That was one of the big things I heard.”
Mantua resident Anne Marie-Wolfe said data centers were the most important issue informing her vote in 2026.
“There needs to be a set of regulations for the data centers,” she said. “They need to make sure that they're not polluting with noise or with lights or with sound or water. Everybody just needs to be more responsible,” she said.
Adams said she believes in preserving farmland and plans to support municipalities as they navigate zoning and regulating data centers.
Her other priorities include addressing Portage County’s budget, which she said will face about $12 million more in funding requests than expected revenue in 2027.
She’ll join two sitting Republicans in January. Adams said she knows both acting commissioners and doesn’t expect party differences to be a challenge.
“I know we're going to find common ground,” she said. “I will work to build a coalition of ideas and ways of doing things that have nothing to do with whether we're Democrats or Republicans, but everything to do with that we are, we are Portage County residents, and we are neighbors.”
