WASHINGTON (TNND) — The artificial intelligence industry is facing the prospect of a significantly stricter regulatory environment after the 2026 midterms sent a wave of legislators and governors who vowed to slow the pace of data center construction and pass tougher rules for the industry to office.Voters across the country approved ballot measures limiting data center development, elected governors who promised moratoriums and other conditions and sent a new group of lawmakers seeking stricter oversight to Washington.How to handle the construction of data centers, or whether to allow it at all, was a key campaign issue for multiple Democrats who…