Newsweek’s AI Policy Scorecard highlights that Congress is divided over artificial intelligence, but this split doesn’t align tightly with party lines. The upcoming Election Day will provide insight into how AI-related issues might influence political alignments.
On November 10, Newsweek will host a live webinar titled “Midterms Review: How AI Policy Shaped the 2026 Elections,” which will delve into election outcomes and reassess findings from the AI Policy Scorecard. This project evaluated 537 sitting members of Congress based on five factors: Regulation & Governance, Data Centers & Energy, Jobs & Economy, Safety & Privacy, and National Security & China.
The scorecard serves as a pre-election benchmark for the AI debate, measured from AI Skeptic (1) to AI Booster (5). Democrats average a score of 2.60, leaning towards skepticism, while Republicans show a 3.26 average, indicating a booster stance. Few members position at extremes, with 18 marked as AI Skeptic and 10 as AI Booster. Most, about 191 lawmakers, are rated as Mixed. Nine Democrats lean towards boosting AI, and 25 Republicans are more skeptical.
Stanford Law School professor Nathaniel Persily, co-leader of the American Political Science Association’s AI and politics task force, noted that typical polarized dynamics haven’t dominated this issue yet.
Persily will join Brent Buchanan, founder and CEO of Cygnal, a Republican survey research firm, and Nick Penniman, founder and CEO of Issue One, a crosspartisan group focused on elections and technology reform. One area with a noticeable divide is data centers, where Republicans average 3.5 compared to Democrats’ 1.9, although approval and opposition to new facilities span both parties.
Buchanan observed that data centers became a focal point for voters assessing candidates’ loyalties, as these centers started appearing in discussions unprompted. He stated, “It’s a proxy issue of, ‘Is this person in the pocket of special interests or is this person for people like me?’”
The role of money and influence is also significant. Issue One reports that 11 major technology and AI companies, alongside trade associations, spent $41.8 million lobbying the federal government in early 2026. Furthermore, over $27 million, partly from groups like OpenAI and Anthropic, was directed into New York’s 12th District Democratic primary.
The webinar will analyze how AI featured in campaigns, the resulting political coalitions, and which AI issues resonated with voters. Discussions will extend to implications for lobbying, advocacy, and political spending. Gabriel Snyder, Newsweek’s executive editor, enterprise, will moderate the session.
Join the live discussion on Tuesday, November 10, at 2 p.m. ET by registering above, or through the provided link.
Leave a Reply