June 23, 2026

Alex Bores and Micah Lasher lead expensive primary race for Nadler’s seat

Democratic state assemblymen Micah Lasher, 44, and Alex Bores, 35, are leading a high-profile primary race to succeed the retiring Rep. Jerry Nadler, a long-serving congressman known for his opposition to President Donald Trump. This primary, taking place in Manhattan’s affluent 12th Congressional District, has garnered national attention not only for its notable candidates, including Jack Schlossberg, grandson of President John F. Kennedy, but also for the significant financial backing from tech giants involved in artificial intelligence. The contest has evolved into an expensive battle largely driven by super PACs linked to rival AI firms OpenAI and Anthropic, as both candidates vie to position themselves as leaders in AI regulation following Bores’ enactment of a high-profile AI regulatory bill in the state assembly. Nadler’s departure has opened what analysts consider one of the most coveted Democratic seats, intensifying the competitive landscape.

Alex Bores: Alex Bores is a Democratic member of the New York State Assembly representing a Manhattan district, with a background in technology and data-focused public policy. He is competing in the crowded Democratic primary to replace Rep. Jerry Nadler, presenting himself as a tech-savvy problem solver in a race that has drawn national attention.
Jerry Nadler: Jerry Nadler is a veteran Democratic congressman from New York who has represented Manhattan-based districts for decades and chaired the House Judiciary Committee during Donald Trump’s first term. He is retiring from Congress, and his long-held seat—now New York’s 12th Congressional District—has prompted a competitive Democratic primary featuring candidates such as Micah Lasher and Alex Bores.
Micah Lasher: Micah Lasher is a Democratic member of the New York State Assembly representing Manhattan’s 69th District and a longtime political operative focused on education, housing, and progressive governance. He is a leading candidate in the Democratic primary to succeed Rep. Jerry Nadler in New York’s 12th Congressional District, positioning himself as part of a new generation of congressional leadership from Manhattan.

Trump_Context: Nadler’s prominence as a leading congressional adversary of Donald Trump during Trump’s first term has added national political resonance to the contest over who will inherit his seat in deep-blue Manhattan.
NY12_Retirement: Jerry Nadler’s decision not to seek reelection in New York’s 12th Congressional District has opened one of the most coveted and high-profile Democratic seats in Manhattan, drawing multiple ambitious state-level officeholders into the primary.
AI_And_Campaigning: Coverage of the NY-12 race has highlighted how campaign messaging, advertising, and voter outreach are increasingly framed as an ‘AI proxy war,’ with candidates and their allies experimenting with AI-generated content and digital persuasion tools in a major urban Democratic primary.

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