Millions of dollars are pouring into state and federal races specifically around AI, targeting and supporting lawmakers in both parties.

Why it matters: Tech money in elections is nothing new. But AI is now a potent campaign issue, driving big spending from rival camps.

The big picture: Pro-AI billionaires funding PACs argue that they're trying to keep the U.S. from losing out to China in the AI race. AI safety and transparency groups are calling the technology a threat to jobs, kids and the environment.

We've made a guide to the biggest AI super PAC and nonprofit players that are wielding influence across key elections in the U.S. and spending to boost policies:

1. Leading the Future is a pro-AI industry super PAC backed by tech execs and investors pushing rapid AI development and lighter regulation.

The cash: The super PAC, which raised $50.1 million last year per Federal Election Commission fiilings, recently announced it has now raised more than $125 million to try to shape the midterm elections.

Key players: OpenAI's Greg Brockman, 8VC's Joe Lonsdale, Andreessen Horowitz, SV Angel's Ron Conway and AI startup Perplexity have all donated to the super PAC, per filings and press releases.

Its affiliates: American Mission PAC and Think Big PAC are other offshoots of Leading the Future, with $5 million and $5.4 million cash-on-hand, respectively.

• Leading the Future is also linked to Build American AI, a 501(c)4 nonprofit that is not required to publicly disclose its donors.

2. Public First Action is a bipartisan 501(c)(4) nonprofit that advocates for AI safety, transparency and stronger oversight.

The cash: Anthropic is Public First Action's sole disclosed donor right now, announcing earlier this month it donated $20 million to the group. The group has reportedly said its goal is now to raise $75 million, after hitting nearly $50 million.

Key players: The Anthropic-backed group is led by former Reps. Brad Carson (D-Okla.) and Chris Stewart (R-Utah).

Its affiliates: The group is tied to three PACs: Defending Our Values PAC supporting Republicans, Jobs and Democracy PAC supporting Democrats, and the bipartisan Public First PAC.

3. American Technology Excellence Project, Forge the Future and Making Our Tomorrow are Meta-backed AI super PACs, part of the company's larger network of PACs.

The cash: Meta put $45 million into the bipartisan American Technology Excellence project to fight off onerous state AI bills across the country, Axios previously reported.

• It's now putting $65 million into Forge the Future and Making Our Tomorrow PACs, which will support Republicans and Democrats, respectively, per the New York Times.

Key players: Longtime Republican operative Brian Baker and Democratic consulting firm Hilltop Public Solutions are involved.

Its affiliates: Meta also last year launched a PAC focused on California, pledging tens of millions to back tech-friendly candidates in state races.

The bottom line: The fight to shape AI policy is coordinated, well-funded and poised to influence the 2026 midterms and beyond.

Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawai'i) is planning to introduce two AI labor bills in the coming months, his office exclusively told Ashley.

Why it matters: Lawmakers are under increasing pressure to respond to fears that AI will upend the job market, and they're starting to throw out ideas for how to deal with it.

Schatz is working on one bill that would impose a "progressive non-deductible excise tax" on AI company revenues. The tax would fund a worker retraining program, including a living stipend and health benefits, per his office.

• It would subsidize state and local governments to employ displaced workers, and also require the federal government to retrain workers for jobs within agencies.

The second bill would trigger "an automatic, whole of government response" if unemployment exceeds 5.5% for two quarters.

• It would require grant and loan programs, regulators and policymakers to prioritize employment impacts in their decisions.

Friction point: AI's impact on the workforce could unfold faster than Congress can agree on what the government should do about it.

What they're saying: "AI is already changing how people work, and it's bringing real risks: massive job losses, increased workplace surveillance, and weaker bargaining power for workers. We need to get ahead of it," Schatz said in a statement to Ashley.

• "That means investing in workforce training, strengthening worker protections, and making sure the benefits of AI are more broadly shared, and not concentrated just at the top."

What we're watching: Concerns about AI's economic impact are gaining traction on Capitol Hill, so expect lawmakers to float more proposals focused on workforce issues.

• In the House, Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) recently introduced a bipartisan bill that would create a federal tax credit for companies that invest in AI training for employees.

Supporters of a Utah AI transparency bill are escalating their fight with the White House, taking it public with digital billboards in downtown Salt Lake City aimed at Trump AI adviser David Sacks.

Why it matters: The clash highlights a growing Republican split over who sets AI rules — the White House or the states — just as AI becomes a midterm flashpoint.

Driving the news: The White House earlier this month sent a one-line letter declaring its opposition to Utah's HB 286, the Artificial Intelligence Transparency Act, and calling it "an unfixable bill that goes against the Administration's AI Agenda."

• The bill, sponsored by Republican state Rep. Doug Fiefia, echoes California's AI law that White House AI czar Sacks has criticized as contributing to a patchwork of state regulations.

The billboards say: "Hey, David Sacks. Stay away from our AI transparency bills. Utah families support HB286." Another billboard design says: "90% of Utahns support AI transparency and child safety legislation."

• The two different digital billboard designs will rotate around four different locations in downtown Salt Lake City for a week starting yesterday, Melissa McKay, policy director for Utah-based advocacy group Child First Policy Center, told Ashley.
• Child First Policy Center paid a "few thousand dollars" for the digital billboards campaign, per McKay.

The other side: The administration "fully supports child safety and has never told a State that it cannot enact child safety protections," a White House official said in a statement when asked about Utah's AI legislation and the billboard campaign.

The bottom line: The Republican-on-Republican fight in Utah exposes a major rift within the party on AI policy and offers an early test of just how aggressively the White House will push back on red state AI bills.

Here's our guide to catch you up on the AI policy news you may have missed this week:

🗣️ Hill pressure mounts: More Democratic senators — and at least one Republican — are urging the Pentagon to withdraw its ultimatum to Anthropic, per our colleague Hans Nichols.

📨 Email list flex: Build American AI says it has signed up more than 500,000 supporters nationwide, Maria reported.

• They are not making donations, according to the group.
• The 500,000-person list of "grassroots advocates" was built through online petitions and digital outreach.

📉 Science jobs down: The American Institute of Physics' FYI newsletter breaks down new data showing just how many people have left federal science agencies under President Trump.

📜 AI bill's back: Sens. Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) yesterday reintroduced the Future of AI Innovation Act to authorize the Center for AI Standards and Innovation to develop voluntary AI standards, benchmarks and transparency guidelines with industry.

• The legislation would create new testbeds with national labs to try to accelerate breakthroughs in AI and emerging tech such as quantum computing and robotics.
• It would also set up grand challenge prize competitions for researchers, expand public access to federal datasets, and form an international coalition with allies on AI standards and R&D.

⚡ Ratepayer pledge optics: Big Tech is headed to the White House next week to sign Trump's "ratepayer protection pledge," but it's still not clear how it might change policies and practices, our Axios colleagues Amy Harder and Ben Geman reported.