AI-industry super PACs are mostly winning so far

• AI-backed super PACs spent millions of dollars in 11 congressional races this past month.
• In all but one race, the AI-backed candidate moved forward to the next round of voting.
• It's an early show of force for the industry's nascent foray into politics.

The AI industry has started pouring money into elections. So far, it's mostly paying off.

Leading the Future and Public First — two rival super PAC networks backed by AI executives and companies — spent nearly $7 million combined across 11 congressional primaries earlier this month.

In all but one of those races, the AI-backed candidate advanced to the next round of voting, whether that's a general election or a primary runoff.

While it's still early — most of the nation's House and Senate primaries are set to take place between May and August — the string of victories represents an initial vindication of the industry's decision to wade into shaping the makeup of Congress.

This is the first election cycle where the AI industry has decided to wade into electoral politics. So far, the groups have been playing in open primaries for seats that are either reliable Democratic or Republican, meaning that whoever wins the primary is likely to become a member of Congress.

A string of victories in Texas, Illinois, and North Carolina

Despite both representing segments of the AI industry, the two super PACs are very much at odds, with each pushing for a different vision for AI regulation.

On one side is Leading the Future, a super PAC network funded by a host of AI donors including OpenAI President Greg Brockman and his wife Anna, along with Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz of Andreessen Horowitz.

The group generally advocates for a lighter regulatory touch on AI, pushing for candidates who will be broadly supportive of the industry and tech innovation.

In Texas, Leading the Future spent a combined $1.4 million to support candidates running in four districts, including Tom Sell, Jace Yarbrough, Jessica Steinmann, and Chris Gober.

Gober and Steinmann won their respective primaries, while Sell and Yarbrough advanced to the May 26 runoff. Yarbrough's opponent later dropped out, effectively making him the nominee.

Leading the Future spent $1.1 million to boost former Democratic Rep. Melissa Bean in Illinois and $509,000 to support GOP candidate Laurie Buckhout in North Carolina. Both candidates won.

The only instance where the super PAC failed to advance their preferred candidate through the primary was in Illinois's 2nd district, where Leading the Future spent nearly $1.4 million to support Jesse Jackson Jr. In that race, Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller won instead.

On the other side of the fight is Public First, a super PAC network funded in part by Anthropic that supports candidates who favor a stronger regulatory approach toward AI.

Public First's biggest win this year so far has been in North Carolina, where the group spent over $1.6 million to support Democratic Rep. Valerie Foushee as she sought to fend off a primary challenge from Nida Allam, a Durham County Commissioner.

The group also had some success in Texas, where it spent roughly $830,000 to support two Republican candidates — Alex Mealer and Carlos De La Cruz — along with former Democratic Rep. Colin Allred.

All three candidates have advanced to the May 26 primary runoff.

In statements to Business Insider, each PAC took shots at one another while touting their respective wins.

Jesse Hunt, a Leading the Future spokesman, said that Public First had "struggled to help its preferred candidates avoid runoffs and win races," while Leading the Future has had an "unmatched record of success."

Anthony Rivera-Rodriguez, a spokesman for Public First, said that their PACs "make winners," while Leading the Future "just sides with obvious winners to rack up a 'scorecard.'"

The AI super PAC civil war in NYC

Despite their rivalry, Leading the Future and Public First did not go directly head-to-head in any of those 11 primaries this month.

Public First had planned to spend roughly $1 million to oppose Jackson, but later opted not to do so out of respect for the family of the late Rev. Jesse Jackson, according to a spokesperson.

But there's one upcoming race where the two groups are fighting one another: New York's 12th congressional district, which covers a vast swath of Manhattan.

In that race, Leading the Future has spent more than $2.2 million on ads oppose Alex Bores, a New York State Assemblyman and former software engineer who has champion bills to regulate AI in the state.

In response, Public First has spent $477,000 to support Bores.

It remains to be seen how it all plays out, and it's a wide-open race with several other candidates, including New York State Assemblymen Micah Lasher, Kennedy family member Jack Schlossberg, and anti-Trump commentator and lawyer George Conway.

The primary in New York State is set for June 23.