Silicon Valley is betting big on the midterms, and AI regulation is the prize 🇺🇸 🤖

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With the US midterm elections set for November 3, which will renew Congress halfway through the presidency, a quiet tech fight is unfolding. Some of Silicon Valley’s biggest fortunes are reportedly spending heavily to make sure the next Congress writes AI-friendly rules instead of restrictive ones.

Leading the Future, the AI industry’s war chest 💰

Leading the Future (LTF) is a super PAC, a US political committee that can raise and spend very large sums to support candidates as long as it doesn’t formally coordinate with their campaigns. Since its launch in August 2025, it has reportedly raised close to $140 million (about 79.3 billion CFA francs). Around $25 million (about 14.16 billion CFA francs) has reportedly already gone into primary races. Its stated aim is to shape AI regulation at both federal and local level.

A memo published September 8 by the Guardrails Alliance, a group that favors tougher AI oversight, claims LTF is also funding Think Big, which leans Democratic, and American Mission, which leans Republican. If accurate, that bipartisan approach would give the industry influence over AI policy whichever party wins.

Candidates backed by hundreds of thousands of dollars 🗳️

Chris Gober, a former Elon Musk collaborator running for a Texas seat in the House of Representatives, reportedly benefited from roughly $750,000 (about 424.9 million CFA francs) in supporting spending during his primary. LTF publicly celebrated his win.

According to Federal Election Commission data, as reported by Digital Business Africa, 36 candidates reportedly received backing of between $100,000 and $1.14 million (roughly 56.65 to 645.8 million CFA francs). All but one, a candidate in North Carolina, are said to have won their primaries.

OpenAI and Andreessen Horowitz join the race 🏛️

OpenAI president Greg Brockman and his wife Anna have reportedly given $50 million (about 28.33 billion CFA francs). The co-founders of venture firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), already known for backing Donald Trump, are also among the contributors.

Why it matters beyond Washington 🌍

This fight isn’t only American: rules written in Washington will shape the AI tools people use every day in Yaoundé, Douala or Nairobi. For African governments, it is a reminder of why setting their own AI rules matters.

Does this much industry money threaten the independence of future AI laws? Let us know what you think in the comments.