AI Invests $65 Million to Influence US Elections

The AI Industry Invests Heavily Ahead of Midterm Elections

The artificial intelligence industry has already injected over $65 million in preparation for the 2026 midterm elections in the United States. This impressive sum is the result of the involvement of several super PACs, backed by influential figures in the tech sector. These groups are positioning themselves to influence the political landscape as the elections approach.

Major players in AI and technology, such as Anthropic, Meta, and OpenAI's president, Greg Brockman, have engaged in this political battle. They are associated with networks of outside groups and super PACs aiming to influence the composition of the next Congress as well as the balance of power in certain state legislatures.

To date, these entities have already spent over $65 million, with tens of millions still available. The total amount of spending may remain unclear for some time due to the involvement of so-called "dark money" groups, which are not required to regularly disclose their expenditures.

The Trump administration has generally taken a favorable approach to AI regulation, but tensions have emerged after the White House slowed the release of the latest advanced models from Anthropic and OpenAI. These companies are closely monitoring the decisions of the Trump administration and lawmakers regarding open-weight AI models based in China, such as the Kimi K3 from Moonshot AI.

The AI industry is going through a crucial period as the use of advanced models becomes widespread. At the same time, the industry has become unpopular with certain segments of the population. Some states are even considering imposing moratoriums on data centers, similar to the law recently signed by New York Governor Kathy Hochul.

Super PACs to Watch

Leading the Future

The main player in this field is Leading the Future, a pro-AI network of super PACs linked to some of the leading figures in Silicon Valley. The main super PAC of this group has managed to raise nearly $76 million by the end of June, according to filings with the FEC. Notable contributions include:

• $50 million from Andreesen Horowitz
• $25 million from OpenAI president Greg Brockman and his wife Anna
• $25 million from Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz ($12.5 million each)
• $100,000 from Perplexity

Greg Brockman shared his vision of political donations in a lengthy post on X at the end of 2025, stating that "being pro-AI does not mean being anti-regulation." OpenAI distanced itself from Brockman's donations after Leading the Future attracted considerable attention, asserting that he was acting on his own behalf.

The network includes a super PAC for Democratic races, Think Big, as well as a GOP-focused super PAC, American Mission. Leading the Future has redirected $20 million to Think Big. FEC filings show that SV Angel founder Ron Conway also contributed $500,000 to the Democratic-focused super PAC. Meanwhile, Joe Lonsdale, founder of 8VC, donated $250,000 to American Mission.

Public First

In response to Leading the Future, two former members of Congress — Republican Chris Stewart from Utah and Democrat Brad Carson from Oklahoma — have created a competing political network, Public First, to support candidates favorable to AI regulation. Public First Action, the umbrella organization for a trio of super PACs, is not required to disclose its donors. In June, the group announced it had raised $80 million so far. Anthropic contributed $40 million to this group.

Carson previously told Business Insider that he was confident about Public First's chances of success, even if the group risked being outpaced by Leading The Future. At the time, Public First Action aimed to raise $50 million.

Meta-Supported Groups

Meta has also engaged in this spending race, creating two distinct groups to support candidates aligned with their vision of AI regulation. Unlike other groups, Meta's efforts will primarily focus at the state level.

One group, named Mobilizing Economic Transformation Across (Meta) California, specifically targets California, where Meta is based. Meta injected $20 million into its California-focused PAC in August 2025, according to recently filed documents with the California Secretary of State. The group has already spent over $4.3 million so far, with the main beneficiary being Scott Sakakihara, a Democrat running for a state Senate seat covering part of Silicon Valley.

Another group, the American Technology Excellence Project, focuses on races in other states.