39 congressional candidates are paying for OpenAI subscriptions this election cycle

Generative AI has officially become a line item on campaign budgets. A Washington Post analysis of Federal Election Commission filings found that 39 congressional candidates reported paying for OpenAI subscriptions during the current election cycle, a number that likely understates the actual usage given how easy it is to expense a $20-per-month ChatGPT Plus plan under vague categories.

Two candidates disclosed that they used their OpenAI subscriptions specifically for advertising purposes, which directly violates the company’s usage policies prohibiting political ad generation. A third candidate went further, admitting to using unspecified AI for drafting and personalizing messages or creating synthetic media.

Who’s spending what

Rep. Mike Lawler, a Republican representing New York, leads the individual spending chart at roughly $3,260 in OpenAI payments since 2025. On the committee side, the Republican National Committee reported approximately $9,700 in payments to OpenAI, making it the largest spender among political action committees.

These numbers only capture what campaigns voluntarily disclosed in their FEC filings. Campaign staffers can pay for personal subscriptions, use free tiers, or route payments through vendors and consultants whose invoices don’t specify the underlying tools.

The policy problem

OpenAI’s usage policies prohibit generating content for political ads, a restriction it put in place well before this election cycle. Yet at least two campaigns apparently decided those terms of service were more suggestion than rule. OpenAI doesn’t have campaign compliance officers reviewing every ChatGPT conversation.

A regulatory vacuum

Federal election law hasn’t caught up to generative AI. The FEC has been debating whether to require disclosure of AI-generated campaign content, but as of mid-2026, no binding rules have been finalized. Some states have moved faster, passing laws requiring disclaimers on AI-generated political ads or banning synthetic media of candidates.

The 39-candidate figure from this cycle represents a significant jump from the early days of ChatGPT’s public availability in late 2022 and 2023, when AI use in campaigns was mostly anecdotal. Without mandatory disclosure requirements, campaigns have no obligation to label content that was drafted, refined, or entirely produced by a language model.

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