AI super PACs spent $79m across 68 races, but their candidates mostly lost to the Democratic wave
A pro-data-centre PAC's $4.8m for Darline Graham was the industry's biggest general-election bet; she lost South Carolina's Senate race to Annie Andrews.
Why it matters
The AI industry split its money between two networks: Leading the Future, funded by Andreessen Horowitz founders and Greg Brockman and favouring light, national rules, and Public First, which backs stronger safeguards. Each runs one PAC per party. Fortune's tally finds the winners they backed were mostly Democrats in races the party carried anyway. The result adds to exit-poll and ballot evidence that data centres hurt candidates, and weakens the case that industry money can buy a lenient Congress before federal AI legislation is written.
Key facts
- $79 million across 68 House and Senate seats (Tech Influence Watch)
- $4,801,981 backed Darline Graham, who lost
- Andrews won 51.1% to 46.7%
- Leading the Future spent $8.1m against Alex Bores in June
- Leading the Future had $34m cash on hand