Sarasota’s property appraiser is moving millions from AI moguls to support Byron Donalds

Sarasota County Property Appraiser Bill Furst leads American Mission Florida, a political action committee that has channeled millions of dollars from wealthy supporters of artificial intelligence to U.S. Congressman Byron Donalds' campaign for Florida governor. The PAC received a $3 million contribution from Leading The Future, a national super PAC focused on advancing AI innovation by funding pro-AI candidates. Major funders of Leading The Future include venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz and OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman, who collectively contributed $50 million. The funding effort is part of a broader push by Silicon Valley executives to support candidates backing AI advancement. Donalds, who has emerged as a frontrunner in the GOP primary, has expressed support for Florida leading the way in AI development and data center construction. This push for AI infrastructure is already manifesting in the state, with the DeSoto County Commission approving a 35,134-square-foot AI data center near Arcadia on March 24. The facility, fronted by DeSoto County Industrial Park, will include a 1.3-million-gallon water storage tank. The project's approval proceeded despite local opposition, as residents raised concerns about the local infrastructure's ability to support the large-scale data facility's demands, particularly regarding water usage and long-term community impacts.