Kansas Governor Race Draws $1.5 Million From Data Center Group

Kansas voters deciding the governor's race next month will see a new political spender on the airwaves. Building the Future, a super PAC formed in August to promote data center development, is putting more than $1.5 million behind state Sen. Ty Masterson, a Republican, according to a person familiar with the spending who shared the details Monday.

Building the Future operates as an offshoot of Leading the Future, a super PAC backed by major AI companies that has spent heavily in this year's midterms. The group's parent network also includes Build American AI, a nonprofit that announced in August a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign in Kansas, Ohio and Wisconsin focused on policies governing data center growth. That same month, Build American AI announced the formation of Building the Future. The new super PAC said at the time it would support candidates who back "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 group is also spending about $1.5 million in advertising for GOP Sen. Darline Graham in South Carolina's Senate race, the New York Times reported Monday.

Masterson, who sits in the state Senate, has opposed moratoriums on data center construction and defended a 2025 law he voted for that created a sales tax exemption for data center investments. Laura Kelly, the Democratic governor, has not been identified in this reporting as a participant in the race; the source article does not name the Democratic nominee. Laura Holscher, running as a Democrat, voted for the same 2025 law but has since called for a statewide moratorium on the developments. 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." She added, "It's also why he's going to give them tax breaks while everyday Kansans' costs go up. 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.

Kansas is one of few Democratic-held governorships Republicans have a shot at flipping this year. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report lists the contest as leaning Republican. The state also has a competitive Senate race between Republican Sen. Roger Marshall and Democratic pastor Adam Hamilton. Opposition to data center development has grown in recent months as the large facilities needed for AI computing have become a voting issue in several states, including South Carolina, where Democratic candidate Annie Andrews has called for a moratorium on new projects and labeled GOP Sen. Darline Graham "Data Center Darline."

Building the Future's spending in Kansas totals more than $1.5 million, according to the person familiar with the figures.