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The spending backs a candidate who defends data-center tax breaks, while his opponent now wants a statewide pause despite voting for the same incentives.
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Building the Future, a pro-data-center super PAC, is reportedly putting more than $1.5 million behind Kansas Republican Ty Masterson’s bid for governor, according to NBC News, which cited a person familiar with the spending. The intervention adds national AI-industry money to a competitive race over data-center growth, but the candidates’ divide is narrower than a simple tax-break fight: Masterson opposes development pauses, while Holscher backs a moratorium, and both supported Kansas’s 2025 sales-tax exemption. The FEC lists the PAC as an independent-expenditure committee, not a source of direct candidate contributions.
The FEC lists Building the Future as registered on August 30, 2026, as an independent-expenditure-only committee.
Building the Future announced its formation in August alongside a multimillion-dollar ad campaign in Kansas, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
The group says its agenda pairs data-center growth with protecting water resources, preventing electricity-bill increases, and supporting American AI leadership and jobs.
Building the Future promised to support candidates who protect communities while advancing AI. Now, the pro-data-center super PAC is spending more than $1.5 million to help Kansas Republican Ty Masterson become governor, NBC News reported October 26, citing a person familiar with the spending. Masterson opposes pauses on data-center development and defends tax incentives.
His opponent, Holscher, has called for a moratorium. Their disagreement is not simply about whether data centers should receive tax benefits: both voted for the Kansas law that created a sales-tax exemption for data-center investments in 2025.
Building the Future is an offshoot of Leading the Future, a pro-AI super PAC. Its formation was announced in August by Build American AI, a nonprofit in the same network. That announcement accompanied a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign in Kansas, Ohio and Wisconsin promoting the nonprofit’s preferred policies for data-center growth.
The group’s stated agenda paired development with safeguards. In August, it said it would back candidates supporting policies that preserve water resources, prevent electricity-bill increases and protect communities, while also promoting American AI leadership and jobs.
Holscher responded Monday by calling Masterson a “stooge for Big Tech” and accusing him of favoring tax breaks for the industry while Kansans face rising costs. She said the spending reflected executives’ desire to defeat her and pledged to fight for data-center guardrails.
Masterson did not immediately comment to NBC News.
The Federal Election Commission lists Building the Future as an active, independent-expenditure-only committee registered on August 30, 2026. The FEC’s explanation distinguishes independent spending from a candidate contribution: the money is spent in support of or opposition to candidates, rather than given directly to them or spent by them.
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