As the 2026 midterm elections draw nearer, the artificial intelligence (AI) industry is playing a significant role in election campaigning. Both companies and individuals in the AI sphere have contributed large sums to political action committees, commonly known as super PACs, to bolster candidates with favorable policies.
“These donors often support candidates who prioritize innovation, research funding, and global competitiveness in AI,” said Ethan Ty, a Carlmont junior and political campaign intern.
According to The New York Times, AI companies have contributed around $150 million to state and federal campaigns in 2025. Among these are OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman and his wife Anna Brockman, who have donated $50 million.
“OpenAI and Anthropic are big ones that have created super political action committees. They donate millions of dollars to support candidates who are geared towards innovation in AI,” said Carlmont senior Theodore Mui, president of the AI and Machine Learning Club.
Greg Brockman backs one of the more notable super PACs, named Leading the Future. Its focus is on AI regulation at a federal level, rather than on a state-by-state basis. Many of the key donors, including Marc Andreessen of the venture capital company Andreessen Horowitz, often support more libertarian policies.
“Marc Andreessen has supported candidates who favor lighter AI regulation and stronger U.S. competitiveness against China,” Ty said.
Another key super PAC is Public First Action, which advocates for stricter AI requirements and is strongly supported by Anthropic. It also includes two affiliated super PACs that appeal to different political parties.
“There’s Jobs and Democracy PAC, which is Democratic-leaning, and Defending Our Values PAC, which is a Republican one,” said David Meyers, a director at OpenSecrets, which provides non-partisan political finance data.
Although both parties have received significant donations, The New York Times reported that Republicans are expected to benefit more than Democrats because of their leniency towards AI practices.
Crucially, super PACs are unique in that they can receive and spend unlimited amounts of money, as long as they do not explicitly coordinate with candidates. Funds are generally used for digital outreach, canvassing, and polling.
“The big thing is advertising. They’ll run TV ads promoting or opposing particular candidates,” Meyers said.
In New York, congressional candidate Alex Bores was the target of a digital advertisement campaign led by a Leading the Future affiliate. The commercials attacked his previous position at Palantir Technologies, which has been criticized for its collaboration with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), despite his anti-ICE stance.
Many are concerned about the power of super PACs to push certain narratives and their role in shaping public opinion.
“Super PACs play a problematic role in elections because they allow unlimited spending from wealthy individuals and interest groups, which can distort democratic representation,” Ty said. “Although they cannot legally coordinate with candidates, they often run aggressive advertising campaigns that heavily influence public perception.”
Meyers also noted that advertisements can impact voters and ultimately the election results.
“Political strategists who spend the money do it based on their own analysis, so they’re not spending just to spend it. They see evidence that, through targeted ad buys, they can influence the outcome of elections,” Meyers said.
With the midterms fast approaching, the AI industry is likely to increase donations to super PACs to support candidates with favorable viewpoints. While the exact impact is not yet clear, the contributions are sure to influence voters.
“The expectation is that we’re going to see massive spending on midterms, probably exceeding 2022,” Meyers said. “I would expect, given the explosive growth AI companies have seen, that they’re going to be spending a ton of campaigns this year.”
