Why corporate AI super PACs spent $27 million on a local election

Corporate-backed super PACs have poured $27.83 million into the Democratic primary for New York’s 12th Congressional District, a race that has become a proxy fight between artificial intelligence companies with competing regulatory agendas [1]. The spending, concentrated on the contest to replace outgoing Rep. Jerry Nadler, has drawn national attention ahead of the June 23 primary [2]. The district, which covers parts of Manhattan, is overwhelmingly Democratic, making the primary the decisive election [1]. Assemblyman Alex Bores, a progressive who co-sponsored the nation’s first AI safety law, has become the inadvertent focal point of the spending war [1]. Jack Schlossberg, a Kennedy family scion also seeking the seat, accused Bores of benefiting from an astroturfing campaign involving bots and fake accounts [1]. A Politico New York investigation later identified at least eight coordinated TikTok and Instagram accounts posting pro-Bores content, tracing them to You Can Push Back, a super PAC created by Ripple co-founder Chris Larsen [1]. Larsen’s involvement links the race to the cryptocurrency sector; Ripple launched the XRP Ledger in 2012 [6]. Two additional pro-Bores PACs have ties to the AI firm Anthropic. Dream NYC received an initial large donation from a single Anthropic employee, while the Jobs and Democracy super PAC is funded by Public First Action, a nonprofit that received $20 million from Anthropic itself [1]. The pro-Bores PACs with tech funding have spent a combined $19.4 million, exceeding what the Bores campaign has spent in total [1]. Opposing Bores is Leading the Future, a $100 million super PAC supporting AI-boosting candidates. Its affiliated PAC, Think Big, has spent $8.15 million against Bores [1]. The influx of outside money mirrors a broader trend of technology figures engaging in electoral politics. Peter Thiel, the PayPal co-founder and venture capitalist with an estimated net worth of $27.5 billion as of December 2025, has made substantial donations to right-wing causes and candidates [4]. A fourth group, the Guardrails Alliance, launched as a counterweight to the billionaire-funded PACs. Composed of unions and tech workers, it pledged $250,000 in pro-Bores advertising [1]. Cofounder Shaunna Thomas told The New York Times, “This is not about matching [Leading the Future] dollar for dollar, fighting them with money or another set of billionaires” [1]. The primary is one of several New York contests in which progressive candidates have gained ground. In the 2026 cycle, progressive and socialist candidates defeated moderate Democratic incumbents in the 10th and 13th districts and won the open 7th district, a showing described as a “clean sweep” for Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the Democratic Socialists of America [2]. Mamdani has not endorsed any candidate in NY-12 [1]. No public polling has been released since May 21, when Emerson College found Bores tied with Assemblyman Micah Lasher [1]. The winner will be heavily favored in the November general election, which coincides with midterm races nationwide [2].