$1.5 Million Ad Buy Targets Kansas Governor Candidate Ty Masterson

Kansas voters face a new financial force in their state's governor's race as Building the Future, a newly formed super PAC, commits over $1.5 million to support Republican state Sen. Ty Masterson. The spending, disclosed Monday by a person familiar with the details, marks the group's first major intervention in a competitive state election.

Building the Future operates as an offshoot of Leading the Future, a prominent political action committee backed by major artificial intelligence figures. The new group aims to promote candidates who advocate for specific regulatory approaches to data center construction. In August, the organization announced its formation through Build American AI, a nonprofit within the same network that had already launched ad campaigns in Kansas, Ohio, and Wisconsin.

The group stated it would support candidates who champion responsible policies for data centers. According to the August announcement, these policies include preserving water resources, preventing electricity rate hikes, and maintaining American leadership in AI while creating high-paying jobs for local workers.

The infusion of capital comes as opposition to data center growth intensifies nationwide. In Kansas, the issue has become central to the governor's contest, which the nonpartisan Cook Political Report lists as leaning Republican. Masterson has positioned himself against moratoriums on development. He previously voted for a 2025 state law that granted sales tax exemptions to data center investments, a measure also supported by Democratic opponent Michelle Holscher at the time of its passage.

Holscher, who has since called for a statewide moratorium on new projects, reacted to the spending in a statement Monday. She described Masterson as a "stooge for Big Tech" who intends to place data centers in every cornfield. Holscher argued that the tax breaks favor billionaires while increasing costs for everyday residents. She noted that industry leaders are spending millions because she refuses to follow their direction.

The same super PAC is also targeting the South Carolina Senate race. The New York Times reported earlier Monday that Building the Future plans to spend approximately $1.5 million on advertising to support Republican Sen. Darline Graham. Graham has framed data center investments as essential for national security while backing local control over construction. Her opponent, Annie Andrews, has sought to leverage the issue by labeling Graham "Data Center Darline" and pushing for a pause on new projects.