Political groups funded by top tech executives have homed in on a local race in Colorado as the state's Democratic primary vote gets under way on Tuesday. Democrat Manny Rutinel, running in the competitive eighth congressional district for a House seat, has seen his campaign boosted with at least $2 million in donations from committees led by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt and crypto billionaire Chris Larsen.
Candidate Profiles and Key Issues
Rutinel is a progressive candidate facing former state representative and centrist Democrat Shannon Bird. His campaign has focused on his Latino heritage and centered on affordability and regulating Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Technology and artificial intelligence are not topics he has publicly waded into, but as a state representative, he supported two bills aimed at putting guardrails on AI, according to Axios. Bird opposed a bill to regulate AI, saying it would restrain innovation in the state.
Donor Breakdown and Super PAC Influence
Political spending on Rutinel's campaign has made it one of the most expensive races in Colorado, outpacing other district and Senate races. The two top Super PACs funded by tech dollars that contributed to Rutinel's campaign are Somos PAC and You Can Push Back. Schmidt and his wife, Wendy, donated $2 million to Somos PAC, which supports Latino voter engagement; the PAC then gave $1.3 million to Rutinel's campaign, according to Axios. You Can Push Back, entirely funded by crypto mogul Larsen, donated nearly $1 million to Rutinel's campaign. Rutinel also received millions in donations from Super PACs focused on Latino candidates.
Individual Employee Contributions
Another chunk of funding for Rutinel came from individual employees at top AI and tech firms, including Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, and Meta. Rutinel has received more than $265,000 from these donations, according to a campaign finance tracker created by the publication Transformer. Anthropic employees were the largest group of givers, with 57 people donating nearly $162,000 combined.
National Context and AI Rift
This race in Colorado exemplifies a stark rift forming among big tech donors. One cohort is throwing money behind candidates seen as lenient on AI regulations, while the other backs political hopefuls who indicate they will rein in the breakneck growth of the technology. The donations to Rutinel's campaign come after a showdown in a local congressional race in New York last week, where pro- and anti-AI groups spent a combined $24 million to either oppose or support Democratic candidate Alex Bores, a state assembly member who sponsored an AI safety bill. Similar scenarios played out during primaries in North Carolina and California.
Rutinel's campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
