Trump-backed candidates score major boost from deep-pocketed AI Super PAC in upcoming primaries
FIRST ON FOX — A deep-pocketed super PAC working to elect AI-friendly candidates is making major investments in upcoming Senate and House primaries ahead of November's midterm elections.
Leading the Future, a pro-AI group with a sizable war chest that is backed by industry executives, is pledging to spend $2 million in Senate races in Louisiana, Montana and Oklahoma, with $1.5 million to be deployed immediately.
And the super PAC, which is powered by donors including Greg Brockman, president of OpenAI, and his wife Anna, in addition to venture capitalists Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, will dish out $750,000 in upcoming House primaries in California and Washington state. The developments were reported first by Fox News Digital.
The group's new round of spending comes after it claimed victories in North Carolina, Texas, Illinois and Georgia, where it poured money into key primaries to elect candidates in both parties who oppose a patchwork of state AI regulations and are more supportive of the industry. And it comes as AI industry money has been increasingly shaping political primaries amid fighting over federal and state regulations.
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In Louisiana, Leading the Future is backing Republican Rep. Julia Letlow, who is facing off against state Treasurer John Fleming, a former congressman, for the GOP Senate nomination, in a June 27 runoff election, in the race to succeed Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy.
Cassidy, who was targeted by President Donald Trump as he ran for re-election, was ousted last week as he came in third in the GOP primary, with Letlow and Fleming advancing to the runoff.
Letlow, who is backed by Trump, is considered the frontrunner for the nomination and for the general election in the solidly red state.
Leading the Future is backing former U.S. Attorney in Montana Kurt Alme, who resigned last March to launch a Republican Senate campaign in Montana in the race to succeed retiring GOP Sen. Steve Daines. Montana's primary will be held on June 2.
Daines withdrew from the Republican primary minutes before the filing deadline last year, and endorsed Alme, who is also backed by Trump.
In Oklahoma, Leading the Future is backing Rep. Kevin Hern, the frontrunner in the June 16 GOP primary in the race to fill the final two years of the term of former Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin, who stepped down earlier this year to serve as Homeland Security Secretary in the Trump administration. Hern is also backed by the president.
Leading the Future says it plans to "implement a fully integrated paid strategy, including broadcast, cable, streaming/digital, direct mail, and texting to ensure our candidates are defined early and supported across the most effective voter contact channels."
The group is also supporting Republican Rep. Jay Obernolte in the June 2 primary in California's 23rd Congressional District, which is anchored in San Bernardino County but includes slivers of Los Angeles and Kern counties.
Leading the Future said their investment "reflects the importance of standing behind proven legislative champions who have already demonstrated leadership on artificial intelligence, innovation, and the broader pro-growth technology agenda."
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The group is also backing Republican Angela McKinney in Washington state's 4th Congressional District — in the central part of the state — in the race to succeed retiring GOP Rep. Jim Newhouse. Washington state's primary will be held on Aug. 4.
Both California and Washington state hold nonpartisan, "jungle" primaries, where all candidates are on the same ballot, with the top two finishers advancing to the general election.
Leading the Future raised more than $125 million in 2025 and reported more than $70 million in the bank at the beginning of this year. It hauled in another $25 million during the first three months of this year.
Zac Moffat, a veteran Republican consultant who serves as a co-strategist for Leading the Future, said the group is "identifying opportunities where our resources can help cultivate a deep bench of pro-innovation leaders in Congress who understand both the enormous economic benefits of AI and the importance of establishing a clear national framework. Building that coalition now is critical to our mission at Leading the Future and we're proud to announce our support."
Leading the Future has also targeted candidates who support more guardrails on the industry, which critics argue could stifle innovation and cede growth to China. The group is pledging to spend millions to shut out Democratic New York state legislator Alex Boros from Congress.
The group's aggressive midterm presence comes as the Trump administration is pushing for a single federal AI framework and the buildout of supporting infrastructure, including data centers.
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Trump has prioritized American innovation in AI and maintaining a competitive edge over China over increased regulation of the burgeoning industry.
The Trump administration has pushed back against restrictive state-level regulations and last week the president postponed an expected executive order that would have boosted federal oversight of the industry after apparent pushback from AI leaders.
But the latest public opinion polls indicate that Americans are increasingly concerned about the use of AI in daily life, with worries about job displacement, data privacy and the weakening of human skills.
In the most recent Fox News national poll, voters had negative views on AI by 50 points when it comes to privacy (63% hurts, 13% helps), by 35 points on U.S. job creation (56-21), by 15 points on the national economy (42-27), by 5 points on people’s daily lives (38-33), and by 4 points on their own personal lives (30-26).
The poll spotlighted a partisan divide, with Democrats and independents by double-digits more likely to say AI hurts rather than helps in each area, and a majority of Republicans supportive of AI.