Anthropic and OpenAI funnel $100 million into super PACs for midterm elections

Oct 19, 2026

AI developers Anthropic and OpenAI have poured $100 million into super PACs ahead of the 2026 midterms, spending nearly $60 million across key primary and general election races. As total 2026 campaign fundraising exceeds $15 billion, Democratic candidates have built major cash advantages in critical Senate contests, outraising Republicans in 27 of 35 races. Amid public concern over rapid AI expansion, Democrats prepare potential congressional investigations into data center energy demands, tax credits, and security practices.

AI company super PAC spending

▪The OpenAI-backed super PAC American Mission spent nearly $2.3 million to support appointed Republican U.S. Senator Darline Graham in South Carolina.
▪Anthropic-backed and OpenAI-backed super PACs spent $27 million on opposing sides in the Democratic primary race for New York state legislator Alex Bores' congressional bid.
▪The Anthropic-linked Jobs and Democracy PAC spent over $1.6 million supporting Democratic Representative Valerie Foushee in her North Carolina primary race.
▪Artificial intelligence developers Anthropic and OpenAI have funneled $100 million into super PACs ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
▪Super PACs backed by Anthropic and OpenAI have spent nearly $60 million on 2026 midterm and primary races across the United States.
▪As of June 2026, the pro-AI super PAC Leading the Future spent nearly $45 million over roughly a year, retaining $31 million according to FEC filings.

2026 midterm fundraising trends

▪In the 2026 third fundraising quarter, 50 sitting U.S. House members were outraised by challengers, with about 90% of those incumbents being Republicans.
▪Elon Musk donated $158 million to the Republican Senate Leadership Fund, $20 million to the Congressional Leadership Fund, $89 million to America PAC, and $10 million to Lone Star Liberty PAC.
▪More than $15 billion has been raised for the 2026 midterms since the start of 2025, with over $4 billion spent on House and Senate ad campaigns.

Democratic Senate fundraising advantage

▪Kansas Democratic Senate candidate Adam Hamilton raised nearly $10 million in the third quarter of 2026, compared to $800,000 for incumbent Republican Senator Roger Marshall.
▪Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico raised approximately $60 million in the third quarter of 2026.
▪From July to September 2026, Democratic or independent Senate candidates outraised Republican opponents in 27 of 35 U.S. Senate races, including a nearly 5-to-1 lead in the 13 most competitive contests.

AI industry political influence concerns

▪In May 2026, the Campaign Legal Center filed an FEC complaint alleging OpenAI-backed super PACs unlawfully evaded reporting rules by channeling payments for goods and services through Nevada shell companies.
▪In Ohio, Republican Senator Jon Husted received $11,000 in 2026 campaign donations from AI-affiliated corporate PACs, including Google, Amazon, and Anthropic.
▪In a BGSU/YouGov poll, 19 percent of surveyed Ohioans identified AI and data centers as important political issues.
▪An AP-NORC poll showed that 64 percent of American adults believe artificial intelligence technology is developing too quickly.

Potential Democratic congressional oversight

▪Former Biden White House aide Rob Flaherty and strategist Karthik Ganapathy launched the Democratic super PAC Tomorrow Together, initiating a $4 million ad campaign targeting Republicans on AI issues in battleground House races.
▪If Democrats take control of Congress in the 2026 midterms, committee leaders plan to press AI executives on research tax credits for data centers and recent hacking incidents.