Here's a new way to think about lobbying: instead of just hiring people to talk to politicians, you can try to hire the politicians themselves. Or at least, help get them elected. That seems to be the playbook Meta Platforms Inc. (META) is reportedly drafting, with plans to spend a cool $65 million in 2026 to back state politicians who won't get in the way of its artificial intelligence projects.
Think of it as a preemptive strike. The initiative, which according to a report in The New York Times is kicking off this week in Texas and Illinois, is Meta's biggest election-related spend ever. The goal is pretty straightforward: counteract any state legislation that could potentially throw sand in the gears of AI development. In the world of tech regulation, states are often the laboratories—not just of democracy, but of potential roadblocks. Meta apparently wants to make sure those labs are run by friendly scientists.
To execute this plan, Meta is rolling out the big guns: super political action committees (PACs). The company has launched two new ones, Forge the Future Project and Making Our Tomorrow, which will support Republican and Democratic candidates, respectively. They join two other PACs Meta already had, and together this quartet has an initial war chest of that $65 million.
The strategy has a clear geographic logic. Forge the Future Project, led by GOP strategist Brian Baker, will focus on supporting pro-Republican legislators in Texas—which is not coincidentally home to three of Meta's AI data centers. Making Our Tomorrow will concentrate on electing Democrats in Illinois who align with the company's policy priorities. It's a bipartisan approach to a very specific corporate interest.
This is a notable shift for Meta, which has historically been pretty cautious with its political checkbook. The company has typically made modest contributions through its corporate PACs and the occasional donation to things like presidential inaugurations (CEO Mark Zuckerberg gave $1 million to President Donald Trump's inauguration last year). Throwing tens of millions at state races is a different ballgame entirely. It's moving from being a polite donor to being a major political player with very clear demands.
MarketDash reached out to Meta for comment on the reported plans, but the company did not immediately respond.
The Big Money Context
Meta's reported $65 million move isn't happening in a vacuum. It comes amid a surge in political fundraising as the 2026 midterm elections start to appear on the horizon. Other tech billionaires are also opening their wallets. Elon Musk, despite saying in 2025 he planned to pull back from political spending, has resumed making significant donations to Republicans.
On the presidential level, the money is flowing even faster. Earlier this month, fundraising for President Trump's political efforts hit $375 million—a staggering sum that analysts say could reshape not just the upcoming midterms but the political landscape for cycles to come.
Meanwhile, the regulatory winds are shifting. In December, President Trump signed an executive order aimed at creating a national AI framework. The order's stated goal is to override a patchwork of state regulations that, in the administration's view, hinder U.S. leadership in the critical technology. The President has emphasized that AI is vital for national security and economic dominance, warning that conflicting state laws threaten America's position in the global AI race.
So, Meta's plan is part of a much larger story: a high-stakes fight over who gets to make the rules for the next technological revolution, fought with an unprecedented amount of cash. The company isn't just betting on AI; it's betting that the best way to protect that bet is to help pick the referees.
