AI Super PACs Pour $16 Million Into NY-12 Primary as Regulation Fight Splits Silicon Valley
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jun 23
AI Super PACs Pour $16 Million Into NY-12 Primary as Regulation Fight Splits Silicon Valley
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jun 23
Summary
$16 million in tech-funded Super PAC money has flooded Tuesday’s NY-12 Democratic primary, turning Manhattan’s House race into the clearest 2026 proxy fight over whether Congress will tightly regulate AI.
Alex Bores became the focal point after sponsoring New York’s Raise Act, a state law requiring major AI developers to publish safety plans, drawing $8.2 million in attacks from Leading the Future and a near-$16 million counterpush from rival AI-safety groups.
Leading the Future is backed by four major donors — Marc Andreessen, Ben Horowitz, Greg Brockman and Anna Brockman — and argues federal rules should pre-empt a patchwork of state laws that tech firms say would slow the US against China.
The backlash has elevated Bores from underdog to a tight race with Micah Lasher, while exposing tensions around Public First, whose donor base includes Anthropic and other AI-linked money despite its stronger-guardrails message.
The NY-12 clash sits inside a broader $100 million AI political spending wave modeled on crypto’s 2024 playbook, even as polls show two-thirds of US voters think AI is advancing too quickly.
Is the AI policy debate about public safety or a corporate war fought through political proxies?
How can AI safety rules promote innovation without letting the biggest companies write their own regulations?
$49 Million AI Industry Spending Makes NY-12 Democratic Primary a National Battleground for AI Regulation
Overview
The Democratic primary for New York’s 12th Congressional District has become the nation’s top battleground for the future of artificial intelligence regulation, drawing unprecedented spending from the AI industry. Major political action committees like Leading the Future and Public First Action, along with a network of smaller PACs tied to Silicon Valley, are pouring millions into the race. This surge in funding signals a high-stakes contest, as the outcome could shape AI policy across the United States. The NY-12 race highlights how powerful tech interests are using financial influence to sway the direction of national AI regulation.