Why AI Giants Are Bankrolling Opposite Sides of the Same Election

The $20 Million Question

Two AI industry groups are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on the same New York congressional race. The twist? They're backing opposite outcomes on AI regulation.

The battleground is New York's 12th congressional district, where Assemblyman Alex Bores faces a crowded Democratic primary. Bores authored the state's new RAISE Act, which requires large AI developers to publish safety protocols and report serious misuse incidents.

In a district where winning the Democratic primary virtually guarantees the general election, this race has become a proxy war for the future of AI oversight.

The Pro-Regulation Offensive

Jobs and Democracy PAC just launched a six-figure ad buy supporting Bores. The group represents the Democratic arm of a broader effort led by former lawmakers Brad Carson and Chris Stewart to elect candidates who'll back stronger AI regulation.

Their parent organization, Public First Action, recently received a $20 million donation from Anthropic — the AI company behind Claude, which has positioned itself as more regulation-friendly than competitors like OpenAI.

The group isn't just playing partisan politics. They've also backed Republican candidates, including a six-figure buy supporting Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) in her gubernatorial race and Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.) for his semiconductor export restrictions.

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The Anti-Regulation Counterattack

On the other side, Leading the Future PAC already targeted Bores with attack ads last November. Their donor list reads like a Silicon Valley who's who: venture capital giant Andreessen Horowitz, Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale, AI search company Perplexity, and SV Angel founder Ron Conway.

Their argument centers on preventing a "patchwork" of state regulations that could slow innovation. The Trump administration has already signaled support for this position, signing an executive order in December to penalize states with certain AI regulations.

Follow the Money

The midterm elections are set to see hundreds of millions in AI industry spending. But here's what's fascinating: both sides are backed by major AI players.

This isn't just about ideology — it's about market positioning. Established players might see regulation as a moat against newcomers, while others view it as innovation-killing bureaucracy.

The Bigger Game

Beyond New York, this spending pattern reveals how AI companies are hedging their bets. Anthropic and OpenAI have been taking swipes at each other in Super Bowl ads and data center investments. Now that rivalry has spilled into electoral politics.

The congressional debate has largely focused on whether to temporarily ban states from implementing AI laws. Proponents argue this prevents regulatory fragmentation, while critics see it as industry capture of the legislative process.