# OpenAI and Anthropic spend $55.7M on midterm races to shape AI policy

Digest AI · Policy & Regulation · published 2026-10-01T15:03:00Z

Canonical: https://digestai.news/story/openai-and-anthropic-spend-55-7m-on-midterm-races-to-shape-ai-policy

## Summary

**AI firms bankroll primaries to sway Congress**—but keep it quiet in ads.** OpenAI and Anthropic-backed groups spent **$55.7 million** on midterm primaries, per a *New York Times* analysis of campaign finance data. The money went mostly to **safe seats** ($52.6M) and favored Democrats over Republicans. Ads avoided mentioning AI or data centers, instead using vague phrases like *“champion American innovation”* in workplace settings or praising lawmakers’ stances on unrelated issues like gun control or immigration—even when opposing sides on the same issue were funded by the same PACs from the same AI firm. The strategy mirrors tactics used by groups like AIPAC, which also avoids direct mentions of its core agenda while funneling millions into races where it can influence future policymakers.

**The divide between the two labs is policy, not party.** OpenAI-aligned groups push for **fewer AI guardrails** to accelerate development, while Anthropic-backed groups advocate for **stricter regulation**. Both aim to elect candidates who will favor their industry’s interests. In North Carolina, an Anthropic-backed PAC spent **$1.6 million** to help Rep. Valerie Foushee win a tight primary after she was named co-chair of a Democratic AI commission. In New York, an OpenAI-aligned group spent **$1.1 million** to defeat a lawmaker who proposed AI regulations. The spending has drawn criticism from candidates like Utah’s Nate Blouin, who lost a primary after receiving **$1 million** in AI-backed support. *“They’re spending millions on things unrelated to AI,”* Blouin said, *“but they’re getting what they want.”*

## Key points

- OpenAI and Anthropic-backed groups spent **$55.7M** on midterm primaries, **$52.6M** in safe seats, favoring Democrats
- Ads avoided mentioning AI or data centers, using vague phrases like *‘champion American innovation’*
- OpenAI pushes for **fewer guardrails**, Anthropic for **stricter regulation**; both aim to shape future policymakers

## Why it matters

The spending reveals how AI firms are quietly consolidating political influence to shape regulations before the midterms. Voters’ growing skepticism of AI may force them to shift tactics, but the industry’s ability to fund races without direct disclosure mirrors long-standing lobbying concerns.

## Sources

1. [AI groups are spending millions to influence the midterms](https://inquirer.com/news/nation-world/artificial-intelligence-companies-midterm-spending-20261002.html) (inquirer.com, 2026-10-01)

Part of the developing story: [AI Funding Battles Shape Policy](https://digestai.news/thread/us-campaigns-disclose-17m-in-ai-spending-since-2020) (2 stories)

## Cite

Digest AI, "OpenAI and Anthropic spend $55.7M on midterm races to shape AI policy", 1 October 2026, https://digestai.news/story/openai-and-anthropic-spend-55-7m-on-midterm-races-to-shape-ai-policy

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