AI Industry Super PACs Are Shaping the 2026 Midterm Elections

Political spending tied to artificial intelligence policy has rapidly become a defining feature of the United States midterm election cycle in 2026. Groups aligned with major technology investors, AI companies, and Silicon Valley executives are deploying tens of millions of dollars in an effort to elect lawmakers who will oppose strict state-level AI regulation and promote a unified national framework for governing the technology. This movement reflects intensifying tensions over how AI should be governed and highlights the role political action committees can play in shaping policy through electoral politics.

Pro-AI Super PACs and Their Strategy

Leading the Future is one of the most prominent super PACs in this space, backed by over $100 million in funding from venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz and contributions from OpenAI president Greg Brockman and his wife, Anna Brockman. The group has clearly articulated its goal of supporting candidates who favor federal preemption of AI regulation and opposing those advocating for stronger state laws.

These pro-AI super PACs argue that a patchwork of state regulations—such as those recently enacted in New York, California, and Colorado—could slow innovation, complicate compliance for developers, and hinder U.S. competitiveness in a global technological race, particularly with China. The Biden and Trump administrations have both taken actions aimed at countering some state regulatory efforts, with President Trump signing an executive order directing the Justice Department to challenge certain state AI laws and advocating for a federal framework.

Television ads and other campaign communications funded by these groups have started to appear in key races. One ad targeted New York state assembly member Alex Bores, a co-author of a state AI safety law, criticizing his stance as contributing to regulatory fragmentation. Other support has gone to candidates like Chris Gober in Texas, framed around broader technology and economic themes rather than AI policy specifics.

Meta, one of the largest technology companies with interests in AI development, has also pledged “tens of millions” of dollars to support candidates at the state level who align with a tech-friendly regulatory posture.

Opposition and Counter-Spending Efforts

The rise of pro-AI super PACs has sparked an opposing political response. Former U.S. Representatives Chris Stewart (R-UT) and Brad Carson (D-OK) have organized a network of super PACs and an affiliated nonprofit called Public First, with the intention of backing candidates who would champion AI safety and guardrails in policy. Public First aims to provide a counterbalance to deep tech industry spending by advocating for regulations intended to address the social, economic, and ethical risks of advanced artificial intelligence.

Supporters of stronger AI regulation point to public opinion data suggesting broad bipartisan support for some form of government oversight around AI safety and data security. They argue that such measures are necessary to protect privacy, labor markets, and democratic processes from potential harms of unchecked AI deployment.

Implications for AI Policy and Elections

The involvement of AI-focused super PACs in the 2026 election underscores how deeply technology policy debates have penetrated American electoral politics. These political action committees are not just backing individual candidates; they are advancing broader narratives about innovation, regulation, economic competitiveness, and governance.

Critics of the pro-AI spending surge warn that heavy investment from industry insiders could skew policy outcomes in favor of corporate interests at the expense of public safety and democratic accountability. At the same time, proponents contend that federal leadership is necessary to avoid regulatory fragmentation and ensure the United States remains at the forefront of technological development.

As the midterm elections approach, the contest between pro-AI and pro-regulation super PACs is likely to intensify, with significant implications for how artificial intelligence is governed in the coming decade.