Data center group jumps into the Kansas governor’s race to boost Republicans

Building the Future, a new pro-data center super PAC, is spending more than $1.5 million to back Kansas state Sen. Ty Masterson, a Republican, in the state’s battle for governor, a person familiar with the spending said Monday in details first shared with NBC News.

Building the Future is an offshoot of the pro-AI super PAC Leading the Future, backed by AI heavyweights and arguably the leading super PAC promoting industry interests in the midterm elections.

Earlier Monday, The New York Times reported that Building the Future is also set to spend about $1.5 million in advertising to boost GOP Sen. Darline Graham in the South Carolina Senate race.

In August, Build American AI, a nonprofit that is also in the Leading the Future network, announced a multimillion-dollar ad campaign in Kansas, Ohio and Wisconsin seeking to boost preferred policies to govern data center growth. At the time, it announced the formation of the political group, Building the Future.

The group said in August it would back candidates who support “responsible policies that strengthen and protect communities, preserve water resources, and prevent rate hikes on electricity bills, while ensuring American leadership in AI and creating good-paying jobs for American workers.”

The new spending followed months of opposition to data center development intensifying, with the sprawling structures needed to power the AI boom becoming a key issue for voters across the country.

Kansas is one of the only Democratic-controlled governorships that Republicans have a shot at flipping this fall. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report lists that race as leaning Republican. The state also features a competitive Senate contest between Republican Sen. Roger Marshall and Democratic pastor Adam Hamilton.

In a statement Monday, Holscher called Masterson a “stooge for Big Tech” who wants “to put a data center on every corner and in every cornfield.”

“It’s also why he’s going to give them tax breaks while everyday Kansans’ costs go up,” she added. “These billionaire CEOs know that I won’t do their bidding, and that’s why they’re spending millions to beat me. But I’ll keep fighting for guardrails on data centers, and I’ll always put Kansans first.”

Masterson did not immediately provide comment for this article.

Data centers have been a hot issue in both Kansas and South Carolina, as well as other states across the country.

In Kansas, Masterson has opposed moratoriums and has defended a 2025 law he voted for that provided sales tax exemption for data center investments. Holscher voted for that law too but has since called for a statewide moratorium on the developments.

In South Carolina, Graham has framed the investments as necessary for national security while expressing support for local control over their construction. Annie Andrews, Graham’s Democratic opponent, has called for a moratorium on new projects and labeled Graham as “Data Center Darline.”