Major pro-ai pac network's midterm efforts underperform despite significant funding

The large pro-AI super PAC network, Leading the Future, is concluding its involvement in the 2026 midterm elections with over $20 million remaining, despite having amassed substantial backing from figures like Andreessen Horowitz and OpenAI's Greg Brockman. Initially boasting a $100 million war chest in August 2025, the network, which utilizes 501(c)(4)s and dual-sided super PACs like American Mission and Think Big, saw its spending taper off significantly as it entered the general election, reporting zero donations in the second and third quarters. While the network heavily backed safe candidates, its influence in riskier races appeared limited. For instance, in New York's 12th congressional district, Leading the Future's attack ads against AI safety advocate Alex Bores were countered by $15 million from the pro-AI safety network Public First, allowing Bores to finish second in his primary. In other contested races, the network's impact was mixed. Darline Graham lost her South Carolina race despite receiving over $2 million from American Mission. Conversely, Democratic Florida representative Jared Moskowitz won his re-election, and in North Carolina's 1st district, Don Davis defeated the Republican candidate backed by American Mission. Brad Carson, co-founder of Public First Action, stated that the midterms represented a victory for AI safety, suggesting the results were a crushing blow to anti-regulatory industry efforts.