AI Political Rivals Spend $15 Million in Midterm Races

Silicon Valley political groups dedicated to artificial intelligence have poured $14.9 million into general election congressional races in the final week before the midterms. A review of Federal Election Commission filings through October 20 shows that organizations favoring faster development and uniform rules spent approximately $8 million. Rival groups advocating for stricter safeguards and state-level authority spent about $6.9 million over the same period.

The divide is sharpest in Florida’s 25th Congressional District. During the primary, Think Big, an affiliate of the Leading the Future network, spent $310,000 supporting Democrat Jared Moskowitz. Defending Our Values, a super PAC favoring stricter rules, spent nearly $857,000 to support Republican Scott Singer. The group also spent $740,000 to block another primary opponent. Moskowitz and Singer will face each other in the general election.

This internal conflict mirrors the cryptocurrency industry's model. In 2024, pro-crypto super PACs backed by Coinbase and Andreessen Horowitz spent over $130 million. CoinDesk reported that their candidates won 53 of 58 races. AI investors adopted this strategy in August 2025 when Leading the Future launched with over $100 million in commitments. Backers include OpenAI President Greg Brockman and his wife, Anna, along with Joe Lonsdale.

A competing network emerged with strong backing from Anthropic. The company committed $20 million to Public First Action in February and another $20 million in July. Anthropic stated that its direct funding is limited to policy and education, though tied super PACs have spent millions on elections. The intensity peaked in the New York 12th District primary, where Think Big spent $8.3 million against Assemblymember Alex Bores. The Anthropic-backed Jobs and Democracy PAC spent about $15 million to support him.

Bores lost to Micah Lasher by a margin of 39% to 35%. The combined $23.3 million spent in that single contest represented 40% of primary spending nationwide for both camps. In the current general election cycle, safeguards-focused groups have spent $825,000 opposing two Republicans who benefited from earlier pro-development spending. They spent $412,500 against Jay Feely in Arizona and a similar amount against Aaron Flint in Montana. They also reported spending about $412,000 against Democratic Rep. Jimmy Gomez of California.

Spending patterns show that 74% of the roughly $78.5 million total federal candidate spending went to primaries. Leading the Future reported $26 million in primary spending versus $8 million in the general election. Safeguards groups reported $32.1 million and $6.9 million, respectively. Public opinion suggests friction, with a CNBC survey finding that 52% of registered voters want companies to pause advanced AI development until Congress acts. Sixty-three percent oppose an AI data center within 10 miles of their home.

Some donors have adjusted their contributions. The Brockmans dropped plans for a second $25 million contribution to Leading the Future. Groups funded by Meta returned $25 million this summer, reducing their planned state-level push from $65 million to about $40 million. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman told Politico earlier this month that something is clearly not working.