News: Leading the Future, a super PAC network backed by AI industry executives, will spend $5 million in the upcoming House GOP primaries in Texas.
That spending begins today when the bipartisan network will launch a $500,000 ad buy to boost Jessica Steinmann, a MAGA lawyer running for an open red House seat in the greater Houston area. The network will run ads supporting her on broadcast, cable, streaming and digital.
Steinmann is the clear front-runner for the seat, which was vacated by retiring Rep. Morgan Luttrell (R-Texas). A top Steinmann opponent ended his campaign when Steinmann nabbed an endorsement from President Donald Trump.
“We believe the races in Texas present a unique opportunity to usher in a new class of pro-innovation candidates who will work together to enact an agenda that creates more economic opportunity for working families,” said Zac Moffatt, a co-strategist for Leading the Future.
Background. Leading the Future plans to part with millions of dollars this cycle to elect AI-friendly candidates. The upcoming $5 million investment is in addition to what the network is already spending to help Chris Gober, a lawyer who is running for retiring GOP Rep. Michael McCaul’s (Texas) open seat.
Texas’ primaries are set for March 3, but any race where a candidate does not clear 50% of the vote will advance to a May 26 runoff. Leading the Future is likely to be active in those runoffs.
Besides McCaul and Luttrell, Texas GOP Reps. Chip Roy, Jodey Arrington, Troy Nehls and Wesley Hunt are also either retiring or running for a different office. That leaves plenty of opportunities for the network to help shape the future of the Texas delegation.
Leading the Future is backed by Andreessen Horowitz and Greg Brockman, the president of OpenAI, and his wife Anna.
In New York, the network is spending to oppose Alex Bores, who is running for retiring Rep. Jerry Nadler’s (D-N.Y.) seat.