A powerful pro-AI super PAC is spending millions of dollars to support candidates in key Senate and House primaries ahead of the midterm elections, including several candidates backed by President Donald Trump.
The group, called Leading the Future, is working to elect candidates who support artificial intelligence development and oppose a patchwork of state-level AI regulations.
The super PAC is backed by major technology and venture capital figures, including OpenAI President Greg Brockman and his wife Anna, as well as investors Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz.
Leading the Future is pledging $2 million for Senate races in Louisiana, Montana and Oklahoma, with $1.5 million expected to be spent immediately.
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The group is also putting $750,000 into House primaries in California and Washington state.
The spending shows how quickly artificial intelligence has become a major political issue. As lawmakers debate how to regulate AI, the industry is increasingly using campaign money to support candidates who favor innovation, fewer state restrictions and a national regulatory framework.
In Louisiana, Leading the Future is backing Republican Rep. Julia Letlow in the GOP Senate runoff. Letlow is also backed by Trump and is running to succeed Sen. Bill Cassidy, who lost his primary after facing criticism from Trump.
In Montana, the group is supporting former U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme, who is running for the Republican Senate nomination after Sen. Steve Daines announced he would not continue his campaign. Alme also has Trump’s support.
In Oklahoma, the super PAC is backing Rep. Kevin Hern, the frontrunner in the Republican primary to fill the remaining term of former Sen. Markwayne Mullin, who left the Senate to join the Trump administration.
The group is also supporting Rep. Jay Obernolte in California’s 23rd Congressional District and Republican Angela McKinney in Washington’s 4th Congressional District.
Leading the Future says it plans to use a broad campaign strategy, including television, digital ads, mail, streaming, texting and other voter outreach tools.
The group has already claimed success in primaries in North Carolina, Texas, Illinois and Georgia, where it supported candidates from both parties who are seen as friendly to the AI industry.
Its goal is to build a stronger group of lawmakers in Congress who support AI innovation and a clear national framework instead of different rules in each state.
Supporters of that approach argue the U.S. must move quickly to stay ahead of China in artificial intelligence and avoid regulations that could slow investment or innovation.
Critics warn that the AI industry is using large political donations to shape laws before the public fully understands the risks of the technology.
Public concern over AI remains high. Recent polling has shown many Americans worry about AI’s impact on privacy, jobs, the economy and daily life.
That tension is likely to make AI regulation one of the most important technology battles in Washington.
The Trump administration has pushed for American leadership in AI and has opposed restrictive state-level rules. Trump has also prioritized data center expansion and infrastructure needed to support artificial intelligence development.
The new super PAC spending shows that the AI industry is not waiting for Congress to act. Instead, it is trying to shape the next Congress before lawmakers decide how the technology should be regulated.
Why It Matters
Artificial intelligence is no longer just a technology issue. It is becoming a major political funding issue. The candidates elected in these primaries could help decide whether AI is governed by strict rules, light regulation or one national framework favored by the industry.
What Comes Next
Leading the Future is expected to keep spending in competitive primaries through the midterm cycle. AI regulation, data centers, privacy, jobs and competition with China are likely to become bigger campaign issues as the technology expands.
The booming AI industry, flush with investor cash, is mounting an expansive, but largely opaque campaign to influence midterm races around the country. https://t.co/O9tjqma9YP
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) May 23, 2026
