Meta launches a California PAC to back pro-AI, pro-innovation state candidates
Plans to spend “tens of millions” ahead of the 2026 governor’s race
Goal: influence AI regulation while protecting massive AI data-centre investments
PAC tied to Meta’s $29bn Louisiana data-centre financing and infrastructure strategy
Meta said it will form a California-focused political action committee to bankroll state-level candidates who favour lighter regulation of AI, stepping up a political push that comes as the company pours capital into massive AI data-centre projects, Reuters reported.
The group, named Mobilizing Economic Transformation Across (Meta) California, will support candidates from either party who back pro-innovation, pro-AI policies, and Meta plans to pour “tens of millions” of dollars into the effort ahead of the 2026 governor’s race.
The initiative is intended to influence state lawmaking in Sacramento as California considers some of the nation’s most aggressive AI and platform rules.
Who’s Running & Why it Matters?
Meta public-policy executives Brian Rice and Greg Maurer will serve as principal officers of the PAC, the company said, framing the move as necessary to defend California’s position as an innovation hub and to push back against proposals the company says could stifle AI development.
Observers note the tactic mirrors past playbooks used by tech firms to shape state policy through targeted political spending.
With the 2026 gubernatorial contest on the horizon, Meta’s new political arm positions the company to be a major spender in state contests.
The launch also comes as other industry players and funders organise pro-AI political vehicles, signalling an escalating battle over how California will regulate AI safety, transparency and consumer protection.
Trump’s Remark
The PAC announcement arrives against the backdrop of Meta’s expanding infrastructure commitments. The company has tapped asset managers PIMCO and Blue Owl Capital to lead roughly $29 billion of financing for a large AI data-centre build in rural Louisiana, part of a broader plan to scale Meta’s compute footprint.
At a recent White House Cabinet meeting, President Donald Trump said the Louisiana project could cost as much as $50 billion, a figure Meta has not publicly confirmed.
Regulators and utilities are already moving to support the site’s massive power needs: Entergy Louisiana received approvals this month to invest in generation and transmission upgrades to serve Meta’s campus, underscoring the local economic and energy implications of giant AI installations.
Those infrastructure questions, and community concerns about land use and emissions, are now part of the policy landscape that the PAC aims to influence.
Strategy & Stakes
Meta’s political push highlights a two-track strategy: shape the regulatory environment through targeted political spending while building the physical compute capacity the company says it needs to compete in the AI race.
Company executives argue looser state rules will help innovation; critics counter that industry cash-ins in state politics could weaken necessary consumer protections.
Watch for candidate endorsements and early funding disbursements from the PAC, any disclosures about coordination with other industry groups, and whether state legislators respond with revised bills or tougher oversight.
Separately, track announcements about the Louisiana financing and Meta’s public cost disclosures, which will determine how the company’s political and infrastructure gambits are judged by lawmakers and voters.
