Data center group jumps into the Kansas governor’s race to boost Republicans

Building the Future, a new pro-data center super PAC, is spending more than $1.5 million to back Kansas state Sen. Ty Masterson, a Republican, in the state’s battle for governor, a person familiar with the spending said Monday in details first shared with NBC News.

Building the Future is an offshoot of the pro-AI super PAC Leading the Future, backed by AI heavyweights and arguably the leading super PAC promoting industry interests in the midterm elections.

Earlier Monday, The New York Times reported that Building the Future is also set to spend about $1.5 million in advertising to boost GOP Sen. Darline Graham in the South Carolina Senate race.

In August, Build American AI, a nonprofit that is also in the Leading the Future network, announced a multimillion-dollar ad campaign in Kansas, Ohio and Wisconsin seeking to boost preferred policies to govern data center growth. At the time, it announced the formation of the political group, Building the Future.

The group said in August it would back candidates who support “responsible policies that strengthen and protect communities, preserve water resources, and prevent rate hikes on electricity bills, while ensuring American leadership in AI and creating good-paying jobs for American workers.”

Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/business