Byron Donalds, AI money and the data center fight

The PAC that backed Donalds wants to work with him

OpenAI president Greg Brockman and the two founders of the venture firm Andreessen Horowitz funded a super PAC that, POLITICO reports, spent millions backing Byron Donalds. Donalds, a Republican congressman who becomes governor Jan. 5, will help pick the state board that rules on what data centers pay for power. The PAC now says it looks forward to working with him. After the Nov. 3 vote, Florida has the most people of any Republican-led state, but no giant data center of the kind big tech firms build, POLITICO found. Donalds once said Florida should lead on data centers, but he now backs limits on building them near homes.

Why it matters: Florida's new data center law says power rates must, within reason, make each user of 50 megawatts or more pay its full cost, not other customers. Florida Power & Light's and Tampa Electric's rate plans for those users are still before the Florida Public Service Commission, the five-member board that sets their rates. The governor fills its seats from names a state nominating council sends, and the Senate confirms them.

The story so far: In February, the PAC said it planned to spend about $5 million to help Donalds, NBC News reported. The AP called the Nov. 3 governor's race for Donalds over Democrat David Jolly, a former Republican congressman. Apart from the race, the commission turned down Duke Energy Florida's data center plan 5-0 the same day. Two commissioners' terms end Jan. 1, and Gov. Ron DeSantis reappointed both Oct. 14, pending Senate confirmation. State law lets a new governor recall such a pick within 30 days of taking office. No record says Donalds plans to.

What's new: In a statement POLITICO published Nov. 10, Leading the Future congratulated Donalds. "We look forward to working with Governor-Elect Donalds to advance policies that support innovation and expand economic opportunity across Florida," said Zac Moffatt, a co-strategist for the PAC. POLITICO reported that the PAC "spent more than $5 million in support of Donalds." No record ties the AI money to any commission, legislative or other state act.

The money came from AI's best-known backers

Leading the Future is a super PAC based in Henderson, Nev., federal records show. Greg Brockman, OpenAI's president and co-founder, and his wife gave it $25 million together on Sept. 12, 2025, $12.5 million each, Federal Election Commission records show. Suncoast Searchlight also reported the couple's $25 million.

A16Z Capital Management, part of the venture firm Andreessen Horowitz, gave the PAC $25 million in August 2025 and $25 million more on Feb. 11 this year, the FEC records show. That is $50 million in all, by our arithmetic. The filings credit half of each gift to co-founder Marc Andreessen and half to co-founder Ben Horowitz.

Through Oct. 14, the PAC reported about $76 million raised and $52.2 million spent. Of that spending, $47 million went to other political committees, the FEC's summary shows.

NBC News reported in February that Donalds was the first candidate for governor in the country to win the group's support. Tech companies such as Meta, Anthropic and Google also spent heavily on state lawmakers this election cycle, POLITICO reported.

The Florida committee and its ads

On March 4, Leading the Future gave $3 million to American Mission Florida, a Florida political committee, federal and state records show. It was the committee's only money, the state's records show and Suncoast Searchlight reported. Sarasota County Property Appraiser Bill Furst chairs it, WUSF reported.

The same day, the committee paid Summit Ridge Media Group, of Reno, Nev., $2.25 million for media production and placement, the state's records show. That record does not name Donalds.

Shortly after the $3 million arrived, pro-Donalds TV ads ran in markets across the state, WUSF found in Federal Communications Commission records. About $63,000 went to Tampa's WFLA-TV for 15-second ads from early March to early April. A month after the gift, the committee had put $2 million toward pro-Donalds ads, Suncoast Searchlight reported, citing Florida Politics.

The committee also gave to other campaigns. On Sept. 28 and 29 it sent $275,000 to four Florida political committees, the state's records show. The Florida Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee and the Florida House Republican Campaign Committee got $100,000 each. A committee called Honest Leadership got $50,000, and Friends of Jim Boyd, the committee of state Sen. Jim Boyd, a Bradenton Republican, got $25,000.

By mid-August, Leading the Future had spent more than $2 million on ads boosting Donalds, Bloomberg reported, citing the ad tracker AdImpact. So had Public First Action, which Bloomberg called a dark-money group backed by Anthropic and other tech executives who favor AI safety guardrails.

Donalds moved from leading to limits

On June 30, Donalds posted on X that he would "make sure Florida continues to lead the way" on data centers, WUSF reported. One of his campaign ads said: "if you don't protect our pocketbooks or our people, you won't build data centers, period." This summer he introduced legislation that would require data centers to generate their own power and water, NPR reported.

He then shifted his focus to regulation, POLITICO reported. He promised to keep the state's existing data center guardrails. He said he would support more limits on how close data centers can be built to homes and on the industry's use of nondisclosure agreements. He does not plan a moratorium, as some other newly elected governors do.

Democrats called him "Data Center Donalds," POLITICO reported. On the trail, Jolly, a former Republican congressman, called him "data center Donalds" for taking campaign money from the industry, NPR reported. Jolly promised a moratorium and said he would be willing to ban the biggest data centers outright. Donalds beat him by less than 2 percentage points, POLITICO reported.

The bigger fight: Many voters nationwide "flat-out rejected data centers" on Nov. 3, POLITICO wrote, and Democratic governors-elect in Texas, Georgia and New Mexico pledged moratoriums. "But in Florida, the industry got its wish," POLITICO wrote. More than a dozen Florida cities and counties have local moratoriums or outright bans, it reported.

The commission that rules on data center costs

The 2026 law, Chapter 2026-65, was signed May 8 and took effect July 1. It covers any customer expected to draw 50 megawatts or more at one site. It also bars state water-use permits for large data centers in some cases and orders a state study of them.

On Nov. 3, the five-member Florida Public Service Commission voted 5-0 to reject Duke Energy Florida's plan under that law, Florida Phoenix reported. The plan left out some large customers the law covers, the News Service of Florida reported. Duke also had not shown that each one would cover its own full cost of service. Duke must submit a new proposal.

The Tampa Bay Times called the ruling "a major rebuff of the company by a commission often friendly to the industry." FPL's and Tampa Electric's own plans are still open. Orders suspending them are due Nov. 23 and revised case schedules on Dec. 1, the commission's dockets show. No decision date is set.

State law gives the governor a hand in who sits on the commission. A nominating council sends at least three names for each opening, and the governor appoints one after a state background check. The Senate must confirm the pick in its next regular session. If the governor does not act within 30 days, the council appoints one of its nominees.

The terms of Chair Gabriella Passidomo Smith and Commissioner Gary Clark end Jan. 1, 2027, commission records show. Gov. Ron DeSantis reappointed both on Oct. 14, subject to Senate confirmation. The Senate's next regular session starts March 2, after Donalds takes office Jan. 5.

The law lets a new governor recall such an unconfirmed appointment within 30 days of taking office and choose from the council's list. By our reading of the dates, that window runs to about Feb. 4. No record says Donalds plans to use it.

All five commissioners now serve on DeSantis appointments or reappointments. Clark was first appointed by Gov. Rick Scott in 2017. That commission ruled 5-0 against Duke's plan.

Their side

Donalds "recognizes that states have an important role to play in creating an environment where businesses can thrive and workers can prepare for the opportunities ahead," Moffatt said in the PAC's statement. In August, PAC spokesperson Jesse Hunt told Bloomberg that Donalds "understands that Florida's future depends on embracing American innovation."

"Byron Donalds answers to no one but the people of Florida," Gates McGavick, his campaign's communications director, told Bloomberg then. A Donalds spokesperson did not respond to POLITICO's request for comment.

Imran Siddiqui, executive director of the Florida Digital Infrastructure and Security Alliance, an industry group, told POLITICO: "It's good that we're going to have a governor in place, seemingly that's open to responsible digital build-out."

Susannah Randolph, director of the Sierra Club's Florida chapter, said the group is still pushing for a statewide moratorium. She told POLITICO it "remains to be seen" whether Donalds follows through on his local-control pledge.

Duke spokesperson Ana Gibbs said: "Duke Energy Florida appreciates the Florida Public Service Commission's careful review. We remain focused on getting this right for Florida by supporting economic growth and new jobs while protecting costs for customers and ensuring that data centers pay their full cost of service."

Smith said of the ruling: "Today's decision reinforces our commitment to upholding those protections as Florida's energy needs continues to grow."

What's next

What's next: The Legislature meets to organize on Tuesday, Nov. 17. Orders suspending the FPL and Tampa Electric plans for review are due Monday, Nov. 23. Donalds takes office Tuesday, Jan. 5. POLITICO reports lawmakers are likely to revisit an AI "bill of rights" next session, which starts March 2.

Sources we read

POLITICO (Kylie Williams), Nov. 10, read on its Yahoo News syndication. NBC News (Matt Dixon), Feb. 12 and Nov. 3. NPR, Nov. 3. Federal Election Commission: Leading the Future (C00916114) receipts, disbursements and committee summary. Florida Division of Elections: American Mission Florida contributions and expenditures. WUSF (Douglas Soule), July 20. Suncoast Searchlight (Christian Casale) via WUSF, April 19. Bloomberg (Emily Birnbaum) via Insurance Journal, Aug. 17. Florida Phoenix (Mitch Perry) via Yahoo, Nov. 3. WUSF and the News Service of Florida, Nov. 4. Tampa Bay Times (Emily L. Mahoney), Nov. 10. Florida Statutes ss. 366.043 and 350.031. The Florida Senate, CS/CS/SB 484 (2026). Florida Public Service Commission: docket 20260146, commissioner history and 2025 annual report. Executive Office of the Governor, Oct. 14. Florida Constitution. WLRN (Christine Sexton, News Service of Florida), Nov. 5.