A coalition funded by prominent figures in the AI world is preparing to launch a major political messaging campaign ahead of the upcoming U.S. midterm elections. The group, known as Build American AI, will run ads praising data centers and urging voters in critical battleground states to embrace them as beneficial economic assets.
Build American AI is tied to Leading the Future, a super PAC backed by venture capital giants Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, along with OpenAI President Greg Brockman. Their campaign will target Kansas, Ohio, and Wisconsin—states seeing increased political attention around the presence of data centers and their local impacts. The effort is budgeted in the millions.
Background: LTF and its Strategy
Leading the Future (LTF) began with more than $50 million in funding. Its early activity has focused on donating directly to political candidates who are pro-AI, and opposing those who push policies that could curb the technology’s growth. LTF has become a well-known player in the AI policy world.
OpenAI has publicly distanced itself from LTF. While Brockman is a co-founder of LTF, OpenAI stated in a June blog post that it does not guide or have comprehensive visibility into LTF’s operations. The organization also criticized tactics like astroturfing—where a campaign simulates grassroots support while hiding its true backers—and called for clarity in public-facing AI policy advocacy.
Political Environment & Other Players
Andreessen Horowitz is among the biggest political spenders leading into the midterms. Its disclosed federal contributions have already surpassed those of other influential donors, including Elon Musk and George Soros. The firm’s portfolio includes AI-forward candidates and causes, as well as crypto-related efforts through groups like Fairshake.
LTF is not the only super PAC driving discussions about AI this election cycle. For example, Anthropic is supporting regulation-minded advocacy groups such as Public First Action. The result is a political landscape where pro-AI spending and policy-driven messages are emerging on multiple fronts heading into November.
Build American AI’s strategy reflects growing recognition that data centers have become deeply political. Questions about land use, energy demands, property tax impacts, and environmental concerns have stirred local opposition in many places. The group’s ad campaign aims to shift those conversations—especially in swing states—by casting data centers as engines of local economic growth rather than unwelcome neighbors.
Why this matters: this campaign signals how central AI infrastructure—often viewed as technical or niche—is becoming frontline political ground. As AI policy becomes more consequential, so does public opinion about physical AI infrastructure. Watch the messaging closely—it could shape regulatory climates for years beyond the midterms, influence state decisions on energy policy, and recalibrate how communities set terms with data center developers.
