Micah Lasher leads New York’s 12th Congressional District Democratic primary with 39% of votes counted, according to The Washington Post’s live results from the June 23 primary. The state assemblyman holds a commanding lead over Alex Bores, who trails at 35%, in the crowded race to succeed retiring Rep. Jerry Nadler.
Lasher, a 44-year-old Manhattan Democrat, was elected to the New York State Assembly in 2024 representing District 69 on the Upper West Side. He worked for decades as a political operative, including serving as director of state legislative affairs under former Mayor Michael Bloomberg and as an aide to Nadler himself before entering electoral politics.
Nadler, who served 17 terms in Congress, endorsed Lasher as his successor, with the retiring congressman saying “I knew that I had a very good successor in Micah.” That backing proved significant in a district that includes some of Manhattan’s wealthiest neighborhoods and has historically favored establishment Democratic figures.
Lasher’s lead reflects substantial financial support from prominent Democratic figures. Bloomberg, his former employer, has poured more than $8 million into television ads supporting Lasher, according to The Washington Post. The endorsements also came from Gov. Kathy Hochul, Rep. Nydia Velázquez, and Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal.
AI Spending Transforms the Race
The primary has evolved into one of the most expensive House races in state history, with at least $26 million spent on television ads. However, the spending war has centered not on traditional Democratic divisions but on artificial intelligence regulation, turning the race into a proxy battle between rival tech giants.
Bores, 35, became the target of super PACs backed by OpenAI investors after shepherding a high-profile AI regulatory bill through the state assembly last year. His RAISE Act created new safety standards for AI developers, including multimillion-dollar penalties in New York state. Gov. Kathy Hochul signed the bill into law in December. According to The Washington Post, ads attacked Bores over his past donations from Sam Bankman-Fried, the convicted founder of failed cryptocurrency exchange FTX, and his previous employment with data-analytics firm Palantir.
Anthropic, OpenAI’s most prominent rival, responded by backing Bores with more than $4 million in television ads, with total spending from Anthropic’s allies exceeding $10 million. Crypto tycoon Chris Larsen also committed more than $3 million to support Bores. The competing tech spending underscores a bitter rivalry between OpenAI and Anthropic that has extended to political funding throughout recent elections.
The race also drew national attention for its celebrity candidates. Kennedy grandson Jack Schlossberg and George Conway, a former Republican lawyer previously married to Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway, both entered the primary. However, both candidates fell in polling as the AI spending dominated the airwaves. Schlossberg captured 10.7% of votes counted, while Conway and other candidates split the remainder.
Sources
- The Washington Post — live election results showing Lasher at 39.1% with 78% of votes counted, race context, and AI spending details
- Columbia Daily Spectator — Lasher’s 2024 State Assembly primary victory
- The New York Times — Bloomberg’s $5 million endorsement and spending commitment
- The Hill — Bloomberg endorsement announcement in March 2026
- JStreetPAC — Lasher’s background as a New York State Assemblyman elected in 2024
