Building the Future targets Kansas governor race with $1.5 million ad push

A new super PAC tied to the artificial intelligence industry spent more than $1.5 million on an advertising campaign for a Kansas Republican gubernatorial candidate on Monday.

Building the Future, an offshoot of the pro-AI group Leading the Future, directed the funds to support state Sen. Ty Masterson. A person familiar with the spending said the expenditure was designed to boost Masterson in the state’s race for governor. The New York Times reported earlier in the day that the group is also preparing to spend a similar amount to help GOP Sen. Darline Graham in the South Carolina Senate race.

The political arm of the data center industry emerged in August. Build American AI, a nonprofit within the Leading the Future network, announced a multimillion-dollar ad campaign in Kansas, Ohio, and Wisconsin. The group stated its goal was to support candidates who favor responsible policies for data center growth. Those policies include preserving water resources, preventing electricity rate hikes, and creating jobs.

Masterson has been a vocal defender of the industry in the state legislature. In 2025, he voted for a law providing sales tax exemptions for data center investments. He has also opposed moratoriums on new construction. His Democratic opponent, who was not named in the source as the specific challenger but is referred to as Holscher in her statement, voted for that same tax exemption law but has since called for a statewide pause on developments.

In a statement Monday, the Democratic candidate, identified in the text as Holscher, criticized Masterson. She called him a "stooge for Big Tech" and said he wants to "put a data center on every corner and in every cornfield." She argued that Masterson would give tax breaks to billionaire CEOs while increasing costs for everyday Kansans. Masterson did not immediately provide comment.

The race is listed as leaning Republican by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report. Kansas is one of the few Democratic-controlled governorships that Republicans have a chance to flip this fall. The state also hosts a competitive Senate contest between Republican Sen. Roger Marshall and Democratic pastor Adam Hamilton.

In South Carolina, the same data center issue is dividing candidates. Graham has framed industry investments as necessary for national security while supporting local control. Her Democratic opponent, Annie Andrews, has called for a moratorium on new projects and has labeled Graham "Data Center Darline."