Anthropic-funded group backs candidate attacked by rival AI super PAC

Late last year, New York Assembly member Alex Bores found himself in the crosshairs of a pro-AI super PAC that moved to block his run for Congress. The group, Leading the Future, has more than $100 million in backing from supporters that include Andreessen Horowitz, OpenAI President Greg Brockman, AI search startup Perplexity, and Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale.

Bores’ reaction was direct: bring it on. And now, he has financial firepower of his own to match that defiance.

Public First Action, a PAC supported by a $20 million contribution from Anthropic, is spending $450,000 to support Bores in the contest for New York’s 12th congressional district, Bloomberg reports. Like its opponent, the committee positions itself as pro-AI, but it promotes a different approach—one that emphasises transparency, clear safety standards, and public oversight.

At the same time, the industry-backed PAC, Leading the Future, has already spent $1.1 million on advertising attacking Bores. Much of that push stems from Bores’ sponsorship of New York’s RAISE Act. This measure would require major AI developers to disclose safety protocols and report serious misuse involving their systems.