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First on Fox – A deep-pocketed super PAC working to elect AI-friendly candidates is making big investments in the upcoming Senate and House primaries ahead of the November midterm elections.
Leading the Future, a pro-AI group with a massive war chest backed by industry executives, is pledging to spend $2 million in Senate races in Louisiana, Montana and Oklahoma, with $1.5 million to be deployed immediately.
And the super PAC, run by donors including OpenAI chairman Greg Brockman and his wife Anna, as well as venture capitalists Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, will donate $750,000 to upcoming House primaries in California and Washington state. The incident was first reported by Fox News Digital.
The group’s new round of spending comes after it claimed victories in North Carolina, Texas, Illinois and Georgia, where it poured money into key primaries to elect candidates from both parties who oppose the patchwork of state AI regulations and are more supportive of the industry. And it comes as AI industry money is increasingly shaping political priorities amid battles over federal and state regulations.
AI power players are pouring money into competitive primaries as the 2026 midterms heat up
Republican Rep. Julia Letlow of Louisiana, a Republican Senate candidate, speaks to Fox News Digital on the eve of the state’s primaries in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on May 15, 2026. (Paul Steinhauser/Fox News)
In Louisiana, Leading the Future is supporting Republican Representative Julia Letlow, who is facing off against former congressman, state Treasurer John Fleming for the GOP Senate nomination in the race to succeed Republican Senator Bill Cassidy on June 27.
Cassidy, who has been targeted by President Donald Trump for re-election, was ousted last week after he came in third in the GOP primary, with Letlow and Fleming advancing to the runoff.
Letlow, who is endorsed by Trump, is considered the frontrunner for the nomination and the general election in the solidly red state.
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Leading the Future is endorsing Kurt Alme, the former U.S. Attorney in Montana who resigned last March to launch a Republican Senate campaign in Montana in the race to replace retiring GOP Senator Steve Daines. Montana’s primary will be held on June 2.
Former U.S. District Attorney Kurt Almey has the endorsement of President Donald Trump as he runs to replace outgoing Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., in a bid to maintain the GOP majority in the Senate. (Alme campaign)
Daines withdrew from the Republican primary minutes before the filing deadline last year and endorsed Almey, who also has Trump’s endorsement.
In Oklahoma, Leading the Future is endorsing Rep. Kevin Hurn, who is the frontrunner in the June 16 GOP primary to fill the final two years of the term of former Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin, who left office earlier this year to serve as Homeland Security secretary in the Trump administration. Hearn also has the support of the President.
Leading the Future says it plans to “implement a fully integrated paid strategy including broadcast, cable, streaming/digital, direct mail and texting to ensure our candidates are quickly defined and supported by the most effective voter contact channels.”
The group is also endorsing Republican Rep. Jay Obernolte in the June 2 primary election in California’s 23rd Congressional District, which is based in San Bernardino County but includes parts of Los Angeles and Kern Counties.
Leading the Future said their investment “reflects the importance of standing behind proven legislative champions who have already demonstrated leadership on artificial intelligence, innovation, and a broader pro-growth technology agenda.”
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Rep. Kevin Hurn, R-Okla., former chairman of the Republican Study Committee, is running for Senate in 2026. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc./Getty Images)
The group is also endorsing Republican Angela McKinney in the race to succeed retiring GOP Rep. Jim Newhouse in Washington state’s 4th Congressional District – in the central part of the state. The Washington state primary will be held on August 4.
Both the states of California and Washington have non-partisan, “jungle” primaries, where all candidates are on the same ballot, with the top two finishers advancing to the general election.
Leading the Future raised more than $125 million in 2025 and reported more than $70 million in the bank earlier this year. It earned an additional $25 million during the first three months of this year.
Zach Moffatt, a veteran Republican consultant who serves as co-strategist for Leading the Future, said the group is “identifying opportunities where our resources can help build a deep bench of pro-innovation leaders in Congress who understand the enormous economic benefits of AI and the importance of establishing a clear national framework. Building that coalition now is critical to our mission at Leading the Future and we are proud to announce our endorsement.”
Leading the Future has also targeted candidates who support greater controls on industry, which critics argue could stifle innovation and stunt China’s growth. The group is pledging to spend millions to oust Democratic New York State Assemblyman Alex Boros from Congress.
The group’s aggressive midterm presence comes as the Trump administration is pushing to create a single federal AI framework and supporting infrastructure, including data centers.
Fox News poll: Voters’ perception of AI has improved, but skepticism remains
Trump has prioritized American innovation in AI and maintained a competitive edge over China over increased regulation of the growing industry.
The Trump administration has moved against restrictive state-level regulations and last week the president postponed an expected executive order that would have led to federal oversight of the industry after outspoken opposition from AI leaders.
But the latest opinion polls indicate that Americans are increasingly concerned about the use of AI in daily life, as well as concerns about job displacement, data privacy and the weakening of human skills.
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In a recent Fox News national poll, voters had negative views on AI by 50 points confidentiality (63% hurts, 13% helps), 35 points on American job creation (56-21), 15 points on the national economy (42-27), 5 points on people’s daily lives (38-33), and 4 points on their own personal lives (30-26).
The survey highlighted the partisan divide, with Democrats and independents by double digits more likely to say AI hurts rather than helps in each area, and a majority of Republicans support AI.
