Following his paperwork filing last month, attorney and vocal Trump critic George Conway formally launched his Democratic bid Monday for New York's 12th Congressional District, centering his campaign on impeaching President Trump. The announcement, marked by a video invoking the Jan. 6 Capitol riot's fifth anniversary, joins a competitive primary to replace retiring Rep. Jerrold Nadler.
George Conway announced his congressional candidacy with a two-minute video highlighting the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot footage—now five years past—alongside images of immigration enforcement, Trump with Jeffrey Epstein and Vladimir Putin. Labeling Trump 'mendacious,' 'corrupt,' and 'criminal,' Conway positioned himself as a fighter in an 'extraordinary political moment,' posting on X: 'We have a demented, criminal president running the country like a mob operation... We need Democratic fighters who will defend the rule of law.'
Conway spotlighted Trump's seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro for U.S. charges as an impeachable offense, arguing it violated the War Powers Act without congressional consultation. 'Maduro is a bad guy... But President Trump is abusing his power,' he told Politico.
The first-time candidate, who filed paperwork in December after registering as a Democrat and divorcing ex-Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway in 2023, emphasized his Manhattan roots: 'This district has been the center of my life since law school.' A former Lincoln Project member who left in 2020, Conway aims to link anti-Trump accountability with kitchen-table issues like affordability.
The June primary for the deep-blue seat attracts national eyes with candidates including Jack Schlossberg, Cameron Kasky, Alex Bores, Erik Bottcher, and Micah Lasher. While conservatives mock it as a 'who hates Trump most' contest, Conway's aggressive pitch tests Democratic appetite amid economic concerns.