AI-Backed Attacks Lift Alex Bores in NY-12 as Pro-Bores PACs Pour in $2 Million
Updated
Updated · POLITICO · May 19
AI-Backed Attacks Lift Alex Bores in NY-12 as Pro-Bores PACs Pour in $2 Million
2 articles · Updated · POLITICO · May 19
Summary
Alex Bores has turned AI industry attacks into a central argument in Manhattan’s NY-12 House primary, with allies saying the barrage has raised his profile and helped him narrowly edge ahead in internal polling.
Think Big—a super PAC backed by OpenAI and Andreessen Horowitz figures—targeted Bores over his AI regulation stance, but the offensive triggered counterspending from pro-Bores groups linked to Anthropic and drew endorsements from Rep. Pat Ryan and Bernie Sanders-founded Our Revolution.
AdImpact data show pro-Bores PACs booked about $2 million in May TV ads, versus $350,000 from Think Big after it returned to the air following an April slowdown.
The fight has widened Bores’ coalition beyond typical ideological lines, as labor and progressive groups frame the race as a test of whether Congress will regulate AI or defer to wealthy tech interests.
The contest also reflects a broader 2026 pattern of AI and crypto money flooding campaigns, with reform advocates warning that heavy outside spending can provoke voter skepticism rather than deliver the intended hit.
Is the AI industry’s election spending a healthy debate or a high-stakes battle that undermines democracy itself?
When tech billionaires fund both sides of the AI debate, how can voters know who to trust for their digital future?
Can political ads decide AI's future while its data centers consume our planet's resources?
Manhattan’s NY-12 Primary 2026: AI Industry Spending, Political Influence, and the Fight Over Regulation
Overview
The Democratic primary for New York’s 12th Congressional District (NY-12) has become a national focal point, highlighting the growing influence of artificial intelligence (AI) in American politics. With the district being overwhelmingly Democratic, the primary winner is almost guaranteed to win the general election, making this internal contest the real battleground. High-profile candidates are competing as AI industry groups pour significant outside money into the race, aiming to shape political outcomes. This heavy spending underscores how NY-12 serves as a bellwether for AI’s political power and the strategies tech interests use to influence key elections.