AI PACs Spent Millions in 2026 Midterm Races, With Mixed Results

Political groups supporting and opposing the AI industry spent millions of dollars trying to influence the 2026 midterm elections and the future of AI regulation. Their results were mixed: some heavily backed candidates lost.

Industry-focused PACs American Mission and Building the Future spent a combined $4.8 million backing South Carolina Senate candidate Darlene Graham, who lost. American Mission also spent more than $500,000 each supporting Republican House candidates Aaron Flint in Montana and Laurie Buckhout in North Carolina; both lost. Think Big, the Democratic spending arm of Leading the Future (LTF), backed Florida Representative Jared Moskowitz, who won reelection.

Groups advocating stronger AI safeguards also had mixed outcomes. Public First contributed $3 million to a PAC supporting California state Senator Scott Wiener, who was leading his race when the article was published. Guardrails Alliance spent more than $1 million each opposing Jimmy Gomez and Flint; both lost. It also spent $300,000 supporting Angela Gonzales-Torres, who defeated Gomez.

LTF spent $27.38 million in primary elections, including $8 million opposing New York Assembly member Alex Bores, who lost his congressional bid in June. It favors a single national AI framework over state rules and plans to spend in the 2028 elections. Guardrails Alliance says it will continue opposing candidates backed by the AI industry. The article notes that broader election trends make it difficult to isolate the effect of AI-related spending.