Anthropic-led AI industry pours money into Ohio House race via super PAC amid data center boom

The artificial intelligence industry is zeroing in on Ohio's 7th congressional district race. Several super PACs with financial ties to Anthropic—the company behind the AI assistant Claude—have invested heavily in the House race, ramping up fundraising for both Democratic and Republican candidates.

The Key Players

One such PAC, Public First Action, was formed in 2025 by former Democratic Representative Brad Carson and former Republican Representative Chris Stewart. According to the nonprofit's own materials, its aim is to advance efforts to regulate AI across government and increase public education about the burgeoning industry.

Over the course of 2026, Anthropic donated $40 million to Public First Action. In a press release, Anthropic stated the funds were exclusively for driving the nonprofit's public education campaign and policy goals, specifying that the money "cannot be used to influence the election of any candidate for federal, state, or local office."

Yet Public First Action's approach in Ohio—offering significant financial backing to both candidates—suggests it may be more interested in shaping the House race itself.

Why Ohio?

The influx of AI-backed money into the Ohio race stems from a confluence of favorable factors:

• Cheap land and plentiful resources
• Sufficient power plants to fuel the data centers required for the AI industry's anticipated boom

Major industry players are already capitalizing on this opportunity:

• Nvidia is reportedly in talks with OpenAI and Softbank to develop a $500 billion data center in southern Ohio
• Amazon Web Services previously announced a $10 billion infrastructure investment in the state
• Meta has already spent $1.5 billion on a data center in New Albany

"Given what's at stake, it's not surprising at all that they want to sway the legislature," David Bieri, an economist and associate professor at Virginia Tech's School of Public and International Affairs, told The New Republic.

Anthropic's Regulatory Agenda

Anthropic has a specific angle on the national regulatory fight. The trillion-dollar company:

• Favors states drafting their own AI regulation
• Has spent enormous sums opposing federal efforts to block regional constraints (which would create a uniform national market)
• Argues that companies developing powerful AI models should face accountability requirements

In a July statement, Anthropic specified it was willing to invest in candidates open to "sensible AI safeguards." These parameters have not always fallen along party lines: The company has supported both Democrats and Republicans who share its regulatory worldview, including Republican Tennessee gubernatorial hopeful Marsha Blackburn, who blocked a congressional effort to bar states from passing such laws.

The Candidates

Max Miller (Republican Incumbent)

Public First Action announced in July that it would donate $15 million to support a slate of Republicans nationwide, including Miller, who is currently facing domestic violence accusations from his ex-wife.

Miller had initially staked out a pro-AI position:

• Co-sponsored the Deterring American AI Model Theft Act in May
• Introduced the Digital PARITY Act to adapt the U.S. tax code for digital assets
• Accepted thousands in campaign contributions from Amazon, Oracle, Intel, Comcast, AT&T, and Verizon

However, his district's proximity to Ohio's AI boom shifted his stance. In August, Miller announced his full support for Ohio House Bill 983, a local data-center accountability bill.

Recent developments:

• The House Ethics Committee announced an investigation into his alleged misconduct
• Ohio Senator Bernie Moreno, Miller's ex-father-in-law, posted that Miller should "not serve in the House of Representatives"
• Miller's name was removed from Public First Action's online announcement last month

Brian Poindexter (Democratic Challenger)

Poindexter, a Brook Park council member, has framed himself as an untraditional candidate, centering his experience as an ironworker and promising to fight for Ohio's working class.

The Jobs and Democracy PAC—tied to Public First Action—spent more than $512,000 on a pre-primary advertising campaign for Poindexter, accounting for roughly 84 percent of all contributions to his campaign, according to FEC data.

Poindexter told Signal he doesn't know why the AI-affiliated PAC spent money on his race. His campaign manager, Thomas Dufour, told TNR that Poindexter's positions are not influenced by campaign contributions.

"He believes that while AI has the potential to make transformational scientific breakthroughs, we need to balance that against the risks it poses—especially when it comes to workers and the safety of children," Dufour said. "This is also an opportunity to set clear regulations around the construction and operation of data centers that put workers and our communities first, without jeopardizing our natural resources."

Anthony Rivera-Rodriguez, a spokesperson for Jobs and Democracy PAC, described Poindexter to Cleveland.com as "a champion for workers."

"Fundamentally, AI issues are worker issues," Rivera-Rodriguez said. "As this rapidly evolving technology creates new risks for labor, we think Poindexter's voice will be critical in the debate over how to stop AI from harming American workers."

Election Outlook

According to the private betting platform Polymarket:

• Poindexter's odds of a November victory: 79 percent
• Miller's odds: 22 percent

This represents a dramatic shift for Miller, who was initially projected to dominate the race in a district where 55 percent of voters supported Trump in 2024.