AI Super PAC Showdown: Anthropic’s Bold Move Backs Candidate Attacked by Rival Tech Giants

NEW YORK, NY – February 20, 2026 – A high-stakes political battle is unfolding in New York’s 12th congressional district, pitting two rival artificial intelligence super PACs against each other in a proxy war over the future of AI governance. The conflict centers on Assembly member Alex Bores, who now enjoys the substantial backing of Public First Action, a political action committee funded by a $20 million donation from AI safety company Anthropic. This development directly counters a massive campaign by the tech-industry-backed super PAC Leading the Future, which has already spent over $1.1 million attacking Bores. The showdown represents a critical inflection point in how AI development will be regulated and who will shape those policies in Congress.

AI Super PACs Clash Over Regulatory Vision

The core conflict stems from fundamentally different visions for artificial intelligence oversight. Leading the Future, armed with more than $100 million from prominent backers including venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, OpenAI President Greg Brockman, AI search startup Perplexity, and Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale, advocates for a innovation-first, minimally regulated approach. Conversely, Public First Action, bolstered by Anthropic’s significant investment, promotes a framework centered on transparency, established safety standards, and meaningful public oversight. This philosophical divide has now materialized as a concrete political fight with national implications.

Bloomberg reports that Public First Action is committing $450,000 to support Bores’s campaign. This strategic investment aims to neutralize the negative ad blitz from his opponents. The funds will likely support digital outreach, grassroots organizing, and pro-Bores messaging that highlights his legislative record on technology accountability. This financial muscle enables Bores to amplify his response to the attacks, which he initially met with a defiant “bring it on” attitude late last year.

The RAISE Act: Catalyst for Political Warfare

The primary reason for Leading the Future’s aggressive campaign against Bores is his sponsorship of New York’s pioneering RAISE Act (Responsible AI Systems Enforcement Act). This state legislation, which passed last year, mandates that major AI developers operating in New York disclose detailed safety protocols, conduct regular risk assessments, and report serious incidents of system misuse to a state oversight body. Proponents argue it creates necessary accountability, while critics label it burdensome and innovation-stifling.

The law’s key provisions include:

• Safety Disclosure: Requires companies to publish annual transparency reports on AI system capabilities and limitations.
• Misuse Reporting: Mandates reporting of “serious incidents” where AI systems cause or contribute to significant harm.
• Risk Assessment: Demands independent third-party audits for high-risk AI applications in sectors like healthcare, finance, and criminal justice.
• Public Database: Establishes a searchable public registry of deployed high-risk AI systems within state jurisdiction.

Background: The Rise of AI in Political Financing

The emergence of AI-focused super PACs represents a new frontier in political influence. Traditionally, technology companies engaged in lobbying, but the creation of dedicated political action committees with nine-figure war chests signals a more aggressive, electoral strategy. This shift follows the explosive growth of generative AI and increasing public and legislative scrutiny. According to filings with the Federal Election Commission, spending by technology-related PACs has increased by over 300% since 2022, with AI becoming the dominant sector within that category by late 2025.

Leading the Future formed in early 2025 with the stated mission to “support candidates who embrace American AI leadership and oppose regulatory overreach.” Its donor list reads like a who’s who of Silicon Valley’s AI elite. Public First Action emerged six months later as a counterweight, founded by a coalition of AI safety researchers, ethicists, and policy advocates. Anthropic’s $20 million donation, confirmed in its 2026 Q1 impact report, represents its largest single political contribution to date and underscores the high priority it places on this regulatory battle.

Expert Analysis: A Proxy War for National Policy

Dr. Elena Rodriguez, a political science professor at Columbia University specializing in technology governance, contextualizes this race. “The New York 12th district race has become a national proxy war,” Rodriguez explains. “It’s a test case for whether the ‘move fast and break things’ ethos can prevail in AI governance, or if a more cautious, public-interest model will gain political traction. The outcome will influence similar races across the country and signal to Congress what regulatory approaches are politically viable.”

Rodriguez further notes that the substantial financial involvement from AI companies themselves marks a departure. “Historically, industries lobbied legislators. Now, they’re directly funding electoral campaigns to install favorable lawmakers. This represents a deeper, more structural form of political capture with long-term implications for democratic oversight of transformative technologies.”

The Candidate: Alex Bores and His Policy Platform

Alex Bores, a Democratic member of the New York State Assembly since 2022, has built his political identity around technology accountability and consumer protection. Before entering politics, he worked as a software engineer and later as a policy analyst for a digital rights nonprofit. His legislative portfolio includes bills on data privacy, algorithmic bias in hiring, and now the RAISE Act. In campaign speeches, Bores frames AI regulation not as opposition to innovation, but as essential infrastructure for public trust.

“We build guardrails for cars, pharmaceuticals, and financial systems not to stop progress, but to ensure progress benefits everyone safely,” Bores stated at a recent town hall. “AI is no different. The choice isn’t between innovation and safety; it’s between responsible innovation and reckless deployment.” His campaign has gained endorsements from several labor unions, consumer advocacy groups, and the district’s previous congressional representative, who retired last year.

National Implications and Industry Reactions

The New York race is being closely watched in Washington, D.C., where multiple comprehensive AI bills remain stalled in committee. The Biden administration’s AI Executive Order from 2023 created voluntary safety standards, but legislative action has been slow. A strong showing by Bores, despite the massive opposition spending, could empower lawmakers advocating for stronger federal AI laws. Conversely, a defeat could chill similar legislative efforts elsewhere.

Within the AI industry, reactions are mixed. Some startups express concern that the RAISE Act model, if adopted federally, could create compliance costs that disproportionately burden smaller companies. Others, particularly in healthcare and education AI sectors, welcome clearer standards to build user trust. Anthropic’s CEO, in a company blog post announcing the PAC donation, wrote: “We believe the long-term success of AI depends on earning public confidence. That requires transparency and accountability, not opposition to reasonable safeguards.”

Historical Context and Timeline

This conflict didn’t emerge in a vacuum. The timeline below shows key events leading to the current super PAC showdown:

• 2023: Biden Administration issues AI Executive Order emphasizing safety and equity.
• Early 2025: Leading the Future super PAC forms with massive tech industry backing.
• Mid-2025: Alex Bores introduces the RAISE Act in the NY State Assembly.
• Late 2025: RAISE Act passes NY legislature; Bores announces congressional run.
• December 2025: Leading the Future launches $1.1M ad campaign attacking Bores.
• January 2026: Public First Action forms with Anthropic funding.
• February 20, 2026: Bloomberg reports Public First Action’s $450K support for Bores.

Conclusion

The battle in New York’s 12th district transcends a single congressional race, embodying the global struggle to govern artificial intelligence. The AI super PAC clash between Anthropic-backed Public First Action and tech giant-backed Leading the Future presents voters with a clear choice between competing regulatory philosophies. As AI systems become more integrated into society, the outcome of this political contest will influence whether safety and transparency or unfettered innovation guides the technology’s development. The substantial financial investments from both sides underscore the immense stakes, not just for New York, but for the future of democratic control over transformative technology. The race will serve as a critical barometer for the political viability of AI regulation ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

FAQs

Q1: What is a super PAC and how is it different from a regular PAC?
A super PAC, or “independent expenditure-only political action committee,” can raise unlimited sums from corporations, unions, and individuals. Unlike traditional PACs, they cannot donate directly to candidates but can spend independently to advocate for or against them. This allows for massive, often negative, advertising campaigns.

Q2: Why is Anthropic, an AI company, funding a PAC that supports regulation?
Anthropic has publicly committed to developing “safe, interpretable, and steerable” AI systems. The company views certain regulations, like transparency requirements, as aligning with its long-term business model and essential for maintaining public trust in AI technology, which it sees as crucial for industry sustainability.

Q3: What is the RAISE Act that Alex Bores sponsored?
The Responsible AI Systems Enforcement Act (RAISE Act) is a New York state law that requires major AI developers to disclose their safety testing protocols, report serious misuse of their systems, and undergo independent risk assessments for high-risk applications. It is one of the most comprehensive state-level AI laws in the United States.

Q4: Who is funding the opposing super PAC, Leading the Future?
Leading the Future is backed by over $100 million from prominent technology investors and executives, including venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, OpenAI President Greg Brockman, AI search startup Perplexity, and Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale. These backers generally favor a less restrictive regulatory environment for AI.

Q5: What are the broader implications of this race for AI policy?
This race is seen as a bellwether for national AI policy. A victory for Bores, despite heavy opposition spending, could encourage other lawmakers to propose similar regulatory measures and strengthen efforts for a federal AI safety framework. A loss could signal that strong AI regulation faces significant political headwinds.