Leading the Future, the largest pro-AI super PAC network, launched in August 2025 promising to oppose policies that stifle innovation. Backed by roughly $100 million from Silicon Valley figures such as Andreessen Horowitz, Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale and OpenAI’s Greg Brockman, the group organized a “structured ecosystem” of 501(c)(4) groups and federal and state super PACs. Its two primary arms, American Mission and Think Big, were designed to support Republicans and Democrats respectively, mirroring the earlier Fairshake crypto network.
In the primary season the network poured about $26 million into independent expenditures, most of which targeted safe incumbents. A notable exception was the campaign of Democrat Alex Bores, a former Palantir engineer running in New York’s 12th district on an AI-safety platform. Leading the Future funded millions of attack ads against him, yet Bores finished second. “They fully expected to bury him, put his head on a spike, and parade it around as proof that they could,” says Haworth, describing the strategy.
As the general election approached, spending tapered sharply; the network withdrew roughly $10 million and concentrated contributions on candidates in secure districts. Reporting showed zero new donations in both the second and third quarters, leaving the organization with just over $20 million in cash reserves after the election. The shift away from competitive races suggested a strategic retreat after the primary outcomes failed to deliver the desired influence.
One of the network’s most high-profile bets was Darline Graham, sister of the late Senator Lindsey Graham, who sought a full term in South Carolina. American Mission contributed more than $2 million to her campaign, branding her “Data Center Darline” for her advocacy of AI-driven data-center expansion. Graham ultimately lost, securing 46.5 percent of the vote in a state that had not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1998.
Among the few toss-up House contests, the network largely backed Republicans through American Mission, with the exception of Democrat Jared Moskowitz in Florida, who received support from Think Big and won re-election by roughly 13,000 votes. In North Carolina’s 1st district, American Mission funded Republican Laurie Buckhout’s primary bid, while Guardrails Alliance, another AI-safety group, backed Democrat Don Davis, who prevailed. A state-level PAC, American Mission Florida, spent $3 million for Republican gubernatorial hopeful Byron Donalds, who opposed a statewide data-center moratorium.
The election outcome has prompted a looming scrutiny of Silicon Valley’s political clout. Democrats have announced plans for hearings targeting big-tech executives, and Senator Ron Wyden signaled forthcoming action on social media, posting the single word “Subpoenas.” This response underscores a broader congressional push to rein in the influence that AI-focused donors have wielded during the Trump administration’s second term.