AI Super PACs Spend $55 Million in New York House Primary

The spending represents nearly half of the $44 million these groups have deployed across dozens of congressional races this cycle. The contest pits Democratic assemblymember Alex Bores against assemblymember Micah Lasher. Bores sponsored the Raise Act, New York’s second state law requiring major AI developers to publish public safety plans.

Four donors supplied the network’s $75 million war chest: venture capitalists Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman, and Brockman’s wife. The network advocates a federal regulatory framework for AI rather than state-by-state rules. Its ads have targeted Bores since August.

First, another Super PAC network, has spent $11 million supporting Bores and other candidates who favor stronger AI safeguards. Anthropic announced a $20 million contribution to the group. Public First has also spent $1.6 million backing Representative Valerie Foushee and $300,000 on ads for Representative Josh Gottheimer, both co-chairs of the House Democratic Commission on AI.

First spent $1.5 million in Texas and nearly $1 million in Utah on candidates who support expanded data centers and limits on deepfakes. On Thursday, Guardrails Alliance launched as another AI-focused Super PAC funded by labor unions and former Indeed CEO Chris Hyams; it will not accept corporate donations. A YouGov poll found two-thirds of U.S. voters believe AI is advancing too quickly.