Former Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. is welcoming an artificial intelligence boost in a new ad that, through AI, helps former Congressman Bobby Rush speak about why he drafted Jackson to return to the seat he held for 17 years.
The new two-minute digital ad features Rush, whose vocal cords were damaged during a battle with cancer, calling Jackson a “lifelong social justice warrior and a passionate advocate for the marginalized and the forgotten.” It’s a not so subtle nod of AI approval for Jackson, who is seeing support from the the Leading the Future PAC — funded by OpenAI stakeholders.
Leading the Future’s top funder is the venture capital firm Andreesen Horowitz. Founder Marc Andreessen is a Trump adviser on tech and business policy — and he gave more than $4.7 million to advance the MAGA agenda in the 2023 and 2024 electoral cycle. Another founding backer is Joe Lonsdale, co-founder of Palantir — an ICE contractor that’s helping the Trump administration deport people.
Leading the Future had $39 million cash on hand at the end of December, according to the Federal Election Commission, and it is helping to boost both Republicans and Democrats who are AI-friendly. The group also ran ads in Texas’s 10th Congressional District and New York’s 12th Congressional District. The group uses the super PAC American Mission to support Republicans and Think Big to support Democrats. The PACs are not directly affiliated with the campaigns they’re supporting.
Jackson’s campaign said the Rush-AI ad was discussed prior to the super PAC supporting him — and he supports AI because he wants to connect the district to the global economy.
“His feeling very strongly is that so many communities he represents are undeserved, marginalized communities. They cannot miss another key economic shift, and he wants his district to be very first in AI,” Jackson campaign spokesman John Digles said. “He wants trade schools to be teaching it. He wants hospitals to have it.”
Think Big is supporting Jackson with positive ads because he doesn’t have a track record of opposing AI, and he has publicly supported it. State Sens. Robert Peters and Willie Preston, both candidates in the 2nd Congressional District race, have voted to regulate AI. Peters is also the co-chair of the state’s Generative AI and Natural Language Processing Task Force, a bipartisan effort aimed at exploring the risks and opportunities that AI might bring to the state.
Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller, also running in the 2nd, supports pursuing AI to ensure the country remains “ahead of the curve,” but also says the country must develop a high standard of AI ethics. Her platform includes support for “thoughtful federal regulation.” The Cook County Board hasn’t voted to regulate AI.
Think Big is also running ads to support former Rep. Melissa Bean in her 8th Congressional District primary race.
There isn’t a singular AI bill on the federal level, but President Donald Trump in December issued an executive order that pushes for a “minimally burdensome national standard — not 50 discordant State ones.”
Trump said he wants a framework that ensures “children are protected, censorship is prevented, copyrights are respected, and communities are safeguarded.” And he accused former President Joe Biden of attempting to “paralyze” the industry. Biden favored an oversight plan, while Trump wants to see deregulation of the industry. Trump immediately rescinded a Biden AI executive order when he took office in January 2025.
On the state level, Illinois has focused on regulation. Last year, Gov. JB Pritzker signed the Wellness and Oversight for Psychological Resources Act, which limited the use of AI in therapy and psychotherapy services. It also approved the use of AI for licensed behavior health professionals for administrative purposes. Another state law that took effect in January requires the State Board of Education to develop guidance on the use of AI in elementary and secondary education.
Beyond the battle for AI, the 2nd Congressional District is also being hit hard by Fairshake, a pro-crypto PAC, also funded primarily by Andreessen and Ben Horowitz and targeting Peters in the race. Fairshake is the third Trump-affiliated super PAC to play a role in the race, along with the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which is supporting Miller in the race.
Under attack from all sides, Peters has said the three PACs “are scared of having an effective progressive champion in this seat.”
Rounding out the field of 10 Democrats vying for the seat left open by Rep. Robin Kelly are Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Board member Yumeka Brown; Adal Regis, who worked in Kelly’s district office; management consultant Eric France; attorney Patrick “PJK” Keating; Toni C. Brown and Sidney Moore.
