Anthropic and OpenAI Are Now Fighting Each Other in the Midterms

The AI industry's regulatory battle has moved off K Street and into ballot boxes. Two rival super PACs — one backed by Anthropic, the other tied to OpenAI — are spending millions on the 2026 midterms, and candidates are already pulling ads and repositioning to avoid getting caught in the crossfire. One political operative quoted by the New York Times doesn't mince words: it's a war.

The immediate casualties are politicians who thought they could stay neutral on AI policy. That calculation is now impossible. Every candidate in a competitive race will be forced to choose a lane — and the two biggest AI companies in the world are prepared to spend heavily on the ones who choose correctly.

The longer-term implication is more significant than any single race. The AI industry has historically operated in Washington the way tech companies always have: through quiet lobbying, think tank funding, and revolving-door hiring. Open electoral combat is a different game entirely. It signals that both companies believe the regulatory environment will be decided politically — and that neither is willing to leave that fight to chance.