Data center group spends $1.5 million to back Kansas governor candidate

A new super PAC aligned with the data center industry is spending more than $1.5 million to support Republican state Sen. Ty Masterson in the Kansas governor's race. A person familiar with the spending said Monday that the group, Building the Future, is making the financial commitment to help Masterson unseat Democratic Governor Laura Kelly.

Building the Future is a spinoff of Leading the Future, a pro-AI super PAC that has emerged as a major financial force in the midterm elections. The new group is also set to spend approximately $1.5 million on advertising in South Carolina to support Republican Sen. Darline Graham in her bid for reelection.

The political arm of this network was formally announced in August. At that time, a related nonprofit called Build American AI revealed a multimillion-dollar ad campaign targeting Kansas, Ohio, and Wisconsin. The stated goal was to promote policies that govern data center growth while maintaining American leadership in artificial intelligence.

Building the Future said in August that it would support candidates who back "responsible policies that strengthen and protect communities, preserve water resources, and prevent rate hikes on electricity bills." The group aims to ensure good-paying jobs for American workers while protecting local resources.

Opposition to data center construction has grown as these large facilities become a central issue for voters nationwide. In Kansas, the governor's race is one of few Democratic-held seats that Republicans may flip this fall. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report lists the contest as leaning Republican. The state also hosts a competitive Senate race between Republican Sen. Roger Marshall and Democratic pastor Adam Hamilton.

Gov. Laura Kelly, who is not running for a third term, 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." Kelly argued that Masterson would offer tax breaks to corporations while everyday Kansans face higher costs. "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. In Kansas, he has opposed moratoriums on construction and defended a 2025 law providing sales tax exemptions for data center investments. Kelly voted for that law but has since called for a statewide pause on new developments. In South Carolina, Sen. Darline Graham frames data centers as vital for national security, while her opponent, Annie Andrews, has labeled her "Data Center Darline" and called for a moratorium.