AI-backed PAC pours $1.5 million into Kansas governor’s race

A new super PAC aligned with the artificial intelligence industry is injecting more than $1.5 million into the Kansas gubernatorial race to support state Sen. Ty Masterson. The group, Building the Future, will spend the funds to boost the Republican candidate in the state’s fight for governor, according to a person familiar with the spending who spoke on Monday.

Building the Future operates as an offshoot of Leading the Future, a super PAC supported by major AI figures. It is considered the leading industry-backed super PAC in the upcoming midterm elections. The New York Times reported earlier on Monday that Building the Future is also preparing to spend approximately $1.5 million on advertising to assist GOP Sen. Darline Graham in her South Carolina Senate contest.

The political arm was formed in August by Build American AI, a nonprofit within the Leading the Future network. That organization launched a multimillion-dollar ad campaign in Kansas, Ohio, and Wisconsin to promote specific data center policies. The group stated it would support candidates who favor policies that protect communities, preserve water resources, and prevent electricity rate hikes while ensuring American leadership in AI.

The spending comes as voter opposition to data center development intensifies. The large structures required to power the AI boom have become a central issue for voters in multiple states. Kansas is one of the few Democratic-held governorships that Republicans can realistically flip this fall. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report currently lists the race as leaning Republican. The state also features a competitive Senate race between Republican Sen. Roger Marshall and Democratic pastor Adam Hamilton.

Michelle Holscher, the Democratic challenger, criticized the injection of money into the race. In a statement on Monday, she described Masterson as a “stooge for Big Tech” who wants “to put a data center on every corner and in every cornfield.” She argued that his support would lead to tax breaks for tech companies while everyday Kansans face higher costs. Holscher said the billionaire CEOs know she will not follow their lead, which is why they are spending millions to defeat her.

Masterson did not immediately provide comment for this article. In Kansas, he has opposed moratoriums on construction and defended a 2025 law that granted sales tax exemptions for data center investments. Holscher voted for that law as well but has since called for a statewide pause on new developments.

In South Carolina, the data center issue also drives the campaign. Graham has framed the investments as essential for national security while supporting local control over construction. Her Democratic opponent, Annie Andrews, has called for a moratorium on new projects and referred to Graham as “Data Center Darline.”