Pro-AI network Leading the Future wades into first set of state legislative races 

The pro-artificial intelligence (AI) network Leading the Future, which has poured in millions of dollars for congressional primaries this year, is now setting its sights on state legislative races as it looks to shape policy at the local level.

Leading the Future, a network of several pro-AI super PACs, announced on Thursday its first slate of state legislative endorsements, all of whom are Republican incumbents and candidates, according to plans first shared with The Hill. 

Those GOP candidates include Arizona state Rep. Justin Wilmeth; Florida House Speaker Daniel Perez and Florida state Reps. Sam Garrison and Fiona McFarland; Georgia state Sens. John Albers and Shawn Still; Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall and Michigan state Reps. Parker Fairbairn, Rylee Linting and Bill G. Schuette; Mississippi state Rep. Jill Ford and state Sen. Bart Williams; Pennsylvania state Rep. Alec Ryncavage and state Sens. Tracy Pennycuick and Greg Rothman; Texas state Rep. Trent Ashby — who is running for state Senate — and Texas candidate Brett Ligon; and Utah state Sen. Daniel McCay.  

Leading the Future is planning to announce its first slate of endorsements for Democratic state lawmakers soon. The pro-AI group’s leadership said that support for its endorsees might look like “paid awareness campaigns to tout each member’s positive contribution to the discussion around AI innovation and how that innovation will benefit the community and their districts.” 

“At Leading the Future, we’re backing state legislators who recognize the opportunity to lead the world in AI innovation that unlocks economic opportunity and keeps families safe,” Leading the Future co-strategist Zac Moffatt said in a statement. 

“States play a critical role in getting this right, and we’re proud to champion legislators who are ready to meet that moment,” he added. “This reflects our commitment to building a coalition prepared to lead at every level of government now and in the future.”

Leading the Future, backed by donors like venture capitalist Marc Andreessen and OpenAI President and co-founder Greg Brockman and wife Anna Brockman, has amassed a war chest of $100 million between all of its affiliates ahead of November and has raised more than $140 million altogether. The network is pushing for a federal framework around AI regulation as opposed to a patchwork of state policies. 

The network’s affiliates have started to wade into congressional primaries, spending money to oppose Democratic congressional candidate Alex Bores in New York in addition to supporting former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.) and former Rep. Melissa Bean (D-Ill.) in their primaries. Jackson lost his primary in March. The network also spent money to support Republicans including Rep. Clay Fuller (R-Ga.) and Texas candidates Tom Sell and Jace Yarbrough, among others. 

The pro-AI network is also supporting Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) in his Florida gubernatorial bid. 

Leading the Future’s decision to wade into state legislative races underscores how outside interest groups are increasingly turning their attention to downballot races — elections that are substantially cheaper to play in while having a clear impact on shaping local and state policy.  

The network isn’t the only pro-AI group wading into the midterm primaries: Public First Action, a nonprofit affiliated with AI firm Anthropic, has also sought to flex its influence in the midterms through its network of super PACs. It’s supporting certain candidates including Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), who’s running for Tennessee governor. The group is advocating for better AI safeguards. 

Anthropic has had a fraught relationship with the Trump administration, though CEO Dario Amodei recently met with the White House. The White House characterized the meeting as “both productive and constructive.” 

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