Kansas Gubernatorial Race: $1.5M Data Center Ad Buy

A new super PAC aligned with the artificial intelligence industry spent more than $1.5 million to support Kansas state Sen. Ty Masterson in the governor's race. The group, Building the Future, acted on Monday, according to a person familiar with the spending. This financial injection marks the organization's first major expenditure in the state.

Building the Future operates as an offshoot of Leading the Future, a pro-AI super PAC that has promoted industry interests during the midterm cycle. Earlier in the week, The New York Times reported that the group plans to spend another $1.5 million on advertising in South Carolina. That funding will support GOP Sen. Darline Graham in her bid for re-election.

The political arm of the Leading the Future network formed in August. At that time, Build American AI, a nonprofit within the same network, announced a multimillion-dollar ad campaign in Kansas, Ohio, and Wisconsin. The group stated its goal is to back candidates who support policies that preserve water resources and prevent electricity rate hikes while ensuring American leadership in AI.

Ty Masterson, the Republican candidate for governor, has defended a 2025 law that grants a sales tax exemption to data center investments. He has opposed moratoriums on development. His Democratic opponent, Holscher, voted for the same tax exemption law but now calls for a statewide pause on new projects.

Holscher criticized the spending in a statement on Monday. She called Masterson a "stooge for Big Tech" who wants to "put a data center on every corner and in every cornfield." She argued that the tax breaks would increase costs for everyday Kansans. "These billionaire CEOs know that I won't do their bidding, and that's why they're spending millions to beat me," she said. Masterson did not immediately provide comment.

The Cook Political Report lists the Kansas governor's race as leaning Republican. It is one of the few Democratic-controlled governorships that Republicans have a realistic chance of flipping this fall. The state also hosts a competitive Senate contest between Republican Sen. Roger Marshall and Democratic pastor Adam Hamilton.