This was the biggest year ever for AI super PAC spending. Years ago, the industry barely registered in campaign finance, but this cycle, AI super PACs spent $79 million across 68 House and Senate seats, according to Tech Influence Watch.
Most of that money landed early, and the biggest fight came in June’s Democratic primary for New York’s 12th District, where Leading the Future spent more than $8.1 million against Assemblymember Alex Bores, co-author of the state’s RAISE Act, while Public First spent about $15 million to back him. More than $40 million in outside money poured into the race, making it the most expensive House primary of the cycle. Bores lost.
And then the money got quiet. As of Oct. 26, Leading the Future had spent only $7.4 million on general-election races, despite having $34 million in cash on hand across its network, according to The Intercept’s analysis of FEC data.
The industry is split into two camps, with Leading the Future on one side. Funded largely by Andreessen Horowitz co-founders Ben Horowitz and Marc Andreessen, who each gave $25 million, and OpenAI president Greg Brockman and his wife, Anna, who gave $25 million, according to FEC filings, it wants light regulation and a single national AI standard, according to Axios, and spends through Think Big for Democrats and American Mission for Republicans. On the other side, Public First pushes for stronger AI safeguards through Jobs and Democracy for Democrats and Defending Our Values for Republicans.
Here’s how the candidates backed by AI super PACs fared in the most competitive races.
Senate
South Carolina: Darline Graham (R) vs. Annie Andrews (D) — (Andrews won, 51.1%–46.7%)
American Mission and Building the Future, a pro-data center super PAC, spent $4,801,981 supporting Graham this cycle, according to Tech Influence Watch. It was the AI industry’s biggest bet on a competitive general election race, and Andrews used it against her, calling her “Data Center Darline.”
Nebraska: Pete Ricketts (R) vs. Dan Osborn (I) — (Ricketts wins, 50.3%–43.7%)
Defending Our Values, part of the Public First network, backed Ricketts with $274,485, according to Fortune analysis of FEC filings. OpenSecrets reported $262,625.
House
Florida’s 25th District: Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D) vs. Scott Singer (R) — (Moskowitz wins, 51.5%-46.4%)
Think Big, part of Leading the Future, spent $259,574 supporting Moskowitz this cycle, according to Fortune analysis. CNBC reported $310,000. Defending Our Values, part of Public First, spent $857,426 supporting Singer, according to Fortune analysis.
Montana’s 1st District: Aaron Flint (R) vs. Sam Forstag (D) — Flint conceded to Forstag, who led 51.5% to 45.7%. Decision Desk HQ projected Forstag the winner. As of Wednesday morning, The Associated Press has not called the race.
American Mission, part of Leading the Future, spent $590,428 supporting Flint this cycle, according to Fortune analysis.
North Carolina’s 1st District: Laurie Buckhout (R) vs. Rep. Don Davis (D) — Buckhout conceded to Davis, who led about 50.1% to 46.8%. Decision Desk HQ and NBC News projected Davis the winner. As of Wednesday morning, The Associated Press has not called the race.
American Mission spent $509,067 supporting Buckhout this cycle, according to Fortune analysis.
Texas’ 32nd District: Jace Yarbrough (R) vs. Dan Barrios (D) — Yarbrough led, 51.5%–48.5%. As of Wednesday morning, The Associated Press has not called the race.
American Mission spent $129,367 supporting Yarbrough this cycle, according to Fortune analysis.
Ohio’s 7th District: Brian Poindexter (D) vs. Rep. Max Miller (R) — (Poindexter wins, 54.9%–45.1%)
Jobs and Democracy, part of Public First, spent $570,204 supporting Poindexter, according to Fortune analysis.
Texas’ 35th District: Carlos De La Cruz (R) vs. Johnny Garcia (D) — (Garcia wins, 55.4%–44.6%)
Defending Our Values spent $1,492,321 supporting De La Cruz this cycle, according to Fortune analysis.
Pennsylvania’s 7th District: Bob Brooks (D) vs. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (R) — (Brooks wins, 56.1%–43.9%)
Jobs and Democracy spent $263,250 supporting Brooks this cycle, according to Fortune analysis.
Alabama’s 2nd District: Rhett Marques (R) vs. Rep. Shomari Figures (D) — (Figures wins, 53.8%–46.2%)
Defending Our Values spent $974,908 supporting Marques in this cycle, according to a Fortune analysis. OpenSecrets reported $959,908.
Texas’ 9th District: Alex Mealer (R) vs. Leticia Gutierrez (D) — Mealer conceded to Gutierrez, who led 57.5% to 42.5%. As of Wednesday morning, The Associated Press has not called the race.
Defending Our Values spent $647,075 supporting Mealer this cycle, according to Fortune analysis. Trump-aligned No Going Back super PAC spent more than $543,000, according to the Houston Chronicle.
The results suggest AI money was no match for the night’s broader Democratic wave. Of the candidates the two networks backed, those who won were mostly Democrats in races their party carried across the country, while most Republicans backed by either network lost, including Graham, the industry’s biggest general-election bet. The exceptions included Ricketts in Nebraska and Sen.-elect Harriet Hageman in Wyoming, whom American Mission backed.
Bores, whose primary loss kicked off the AI spending war, is already looking ahead: his new nonprofit, Who Decides, aims to raise $30 million before 2028.