NYC Sets 7 House Primaries for June 23 as Polls Show Lander, Valdez Leading

Q: How is an A.I. 'proxy battle' and big tech money reshaping a key Manhattan congressional race?

Big tech money has turned Manhattan’s NY-12 Democratic primary into a national test case over A.I. regulation, with Assemblymember Alex Bores at the center of the fight. Bores, a former data scientist, helped advance New York’s RAISE Act, one of the country’s strongest A.I. safety laws. That made him a target for industry-backed groups that argue state-by-state rules could slow U.S. innovation. A super PAC network tied to major tech investors and OpenAI-linked figures has spent millions attacking him, framing the race as a warning to other lawmakers considering tougher A.I. rules. That offensive triggered a counter-campaign from another set of tech and crypto donors, including groups linked to Anthropic and investor Chris Larsen, who say A.I. needs guardrails and that companies should not be able to intimidate regulators. Together, the rival camps have poured well over $20 million into the race, making it one of the most expensive House primaries in the country and concentrating an unusually large share of all A.I.-related super PAC spending in a single district. The effect is broader than ad volume. A.I. regulation, once a niche issue, has become a defining theme of the contest to replace Jerry Nadler. It has raised Bores’s profile, forced rivals such as Micah Lasher to address tech oversight and corporate influence, and shifted the campaign from a local Manhattan succession race into a referendum on who will shape the next generation of A.I. policy in Washington.

3 articles · Updated · amNY · Jun 22

June 23 voting will decide seven New York City Democratic House primaries, with only registered Democrats eligible in the key congressional contests before November’s general election.
NY-10 has drawn the closest attention: former city Comptroller Brad Lander leads incumbent Dan Goldman in recent polls after both ran on progressive platforms that include curbing ICE.
Polls also show Assembly Members Micah Lasher and Alex Bores atop the open NY-12 race to replace Jerry Nadler, while Adriano Espaillat leads Darializa Avila Chevalier 35% to 27% in NY-13.
In NY-7, Claire Valdez holds a narrow edge over Antonio Reynoso for Nydia Velázquez’s open seat, while Grace Meng remains favored in NY-6 despite criticism over a telephone town hall.
Two incumbents look safest: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez enters NY-14 with nearly $15 million on hand, and Ritchie Torres is the clear frontrunner in NY-15.