Корпоративные AI-суперпаки потратили $27 млн на выборы в одном округе Нью-Йорка

AI industry made a bet on one Congressional candidate in the USA, investing $27 million in his election campaign through corporate super PACs. This is an unprecedented sum for a local congressional race — and a signal that technology companies are seriously taking up the formation of their own political class.

Elections that changed the bar

New York's 12th district spans part of Manhattan — traditionally competitive within the Democratic party. In 2026, it became a testing ground for an unusual experiment: AI companies and their investors invested in candidate Alex Bores funds comparable to Senate, not Congressional race budgets. Alex Bores is a member of the New York State Assembly, known as one of the most technically literate politicians of his generation. He consistently advocates for light AI regulation, criticizes initiatives that could slow industry development, and conducts substantive discussions about model safety at a level inaccessible to most legislators. Exactly this profile became the ideal investment for the AI industry.

Who pays for victory

Behind the super PACs are structures affiliated with major AI market players. Among funding sources are investors and partners of companies like Anthropic and OpenAI, as well as Silicon Valley venture funds that have long bet on scaling AI without excessive government intervention. In public reports, specific names are often hidden behind multiple layers of legal structures. Super PACs operate under a scheme that became standard after the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision: they cannot directly coordinate with a candidate, but can spend on advertising and promotion for him essentially unlimited.

• $27 million — presumed record for super PAC spending in a single local congressional race
• Money went to television advertising, digital campaigns and field voter outreach
• Bores's opponents received significantly less external funding
• The total budget of the race in the 12th district exceeded normal levels five to seven times

Why exactly one district

The logic of the investment is simple: Congress passes laws that determine the fate of AI regulation for years to come. Model accountability, copyrights for training data, antitrust restrictions, national security issues — all this is decided by voting in relevant committees. One loyal member of such a committee is capable of blocking an inconvenient bill or pushing through a favorable amendment.

For a large AI company, $27 million is a statistically insignificant sum against the backdrop of multi-billion dollar valuations. If in exchange you can get a loyal congressman on a key committee, this is not a donation — this is a venture investment with a clear return model. Critics call what is happening a direct purchase of political influence; supporters — a legitimate industry participation in the democratic process.

"The industry finally understood: ignoring

Washington is more expensive than investing in it," — note analysts tracking the lobbying activity of the technology sector.

What does this mean

AI money in politics ceases to be a background phenomenon — it becomes a systemic tool. The precedent in the 12th district shows: the industry is ready to spend disproportionate sums for a targeted result. The next step is expanding the strategy to a larger number of districts and states. For the rest of the world, this means that US AI laws will increasingly reflect the interests of those who finance elections.