AI executives and companies spent at least $44 million on 40 House and Senate candidates by the end of June through two major political action committees, according to a CNBC analysis of Federal Election Commission data. The spending aims to influence AI bills being developed in Congress during the 2026 midterm elections. The two PACs—Leading the Future and Public First Action—have raised more than $200 million combined, positioning the AI industry as an increasingly powerful player in Washington as lawmakers work on the first national legislation to regulate AI use.
Two AI PACs Spend $44 Million on Congressional Candidates by End of June
Leading the Future spent more than $24 million on primary races through the end of June, according to Federal Election Commission filings. The group raised $125 million by the end of 2025 from donors including private equity firm Andreessen Horowitz, OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman, Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale, SV Angel founder Ron Conway, and AI software company Perplexity.
Public First Action spent $20 million and announced last month it raised $80 million through the end of June. The group received $20 million from Anthropic, restricted to educating the public on AI policy and not for political purposes, per a PAC spokesman. Brad Carson, who heads Public First Action, told CNBC the group plans to spend in 50-60 races by the end of the midterms. Public First Action does not disclose its donors, but Carson said the group received donations from employees of OpenAI, Google, DeepMind, and X.
Josh Vlasto, co-leader of Leading the Future, told CNBC that coming up with the right regulatory structure is critical for lawmakers. "It is so important that we do this now and urgently, because it is still the early innings of the technology, but it is being adopted quickly, at scale," he said.
Leading the Future and Public First Action Back Winning Primary Candidates
Of the 28 candidates Leading the Future backed, 25 won their primaries, two have yet to face their elections, and only one—Jesse Jackson Jr.—lost. The group also opposed Alex Bores, who lost the Democratic primary in New York's 12th Congressional District.
Public First Action backed candidates in 11 races. With the exception of Bores, every candidate it supported won. Carson said he has seen more bills introduced and discussion around AI legislation, especially as concerns about the capabilities and risks of powerful AI models like Mythos and Claude Fable have come into the spotlight. "They have a lot of benefits. They have a lot of dangers. And you can't just release them into the wild with no government concern," Carson told CNBC. "Everybody from the right to the left, from pro-Trump to anti-Trump recognizes that."
AI Groups Differ on Federal Preemption of State Laws
The biggest policy differences between the two PACs touch on whether a single federal standard should preempt state laws around AI. Leading the Future advocates for a "broad, national, consistent framework for regulation governing AI," Vlasto said in an interview with CNBC. He denied the group was against state laws, pointing to its support of New York's RAISE Act, which Bores helped lead as a New York assemblyman.
Leading the Future spent about $8 million opposing Bores in large part because of his push for a more aggressive RAISE Act than was eventually signed into law. Before the bill was signed into law, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul successfully pressed lawmakers to agree to changes to weaken reporting requirements for AI companies and the size of penalties—bringing the New York law more in line with one in California. Those changes resulted in Leading the Future supporting the final law while still opposing one of the lawmakers who backed the earlier version of the bill.
Public First Action is more supportive of state laws and has fought efforts to preempt them, although Carson said if Washington can come up with a "comprehensive federal approach to these problems, then preemption is a natural part of our constitutional order."
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., told CNBC that state laws are "hurting innovation" and overriding them is "going to be the foundation of anything we do." Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., a co-chair of a commission on AI established by House Democrats, said that while there is "definitely bipartisan disapproval of preempting with nothing," he noted many Democrats recently backed a kids online safety bill that set a federal standard for privacy standards as a floor.
AI Industry Follows Crypto Playbook from 2024 Elections
The playbook AI companies are using is not new. In the 2024 elections, crypto-backed PAC Fairshake dropped $200 million into elections, supporting pro-crypto candidates on either side of the aisle. The result: A major bill on stablecoins became law, and significant progress was made on a rules-of-the-road digital assets bill favored by major crypto companies like Coinbase and Ripple.
FAQ
How much did AI political action committees spend on the 2026 midterm elections by the end of June?
Two major AI PACs spent at least $44 million on 40 House and Senate candidates by the end of June, according to a CNBC analysis of Federal Election Commission data. Leading the Future spent more than $24 million, while Public First Action spent $20 million.
What is the main policy difference between Leading the Future and Public First Action?
The biggest policy difference concerns federal preemption of state AI laws. Leading the Future advocates for a broad national framework for AI regulation, while Public First Action is more supportive of state laws and has fought efforts to preempt them. However, both groups support some degree of regulatory guardrails and overlap in areas like protecting children online.
Who are the major donors to AI political action committees?
Leading the Future received donations from Andreessen Horowitz, OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman, Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale, SV Angel founder Ron Conway, and Perplexity. Public First Action received a $20 million restricted donation from Anthropic and donations from employees of OpenAI, Google, DeepMind, and X, according to the group's leadership.
