The Democratic primary for New York’s 12th Congressional District has turned into a high-stakes contest over artificial intelligence policy. The June 23 vote to replace retiring Representative Jerry Nadler features state Assembly member Alex Bores as a leading candidate. Outside spending tied to AI companies has exceeded $20 million.
Bores, a computer scientist and sponsor of New York’s RAISE Act, supports stronger federal oversight of AI. The 2025 state law requires large developers to create safety plans and report incidents involving risks such as automated crime or bioweapons.
Opponents have targeted Bores with more than $7 million in ads from Leading the Future, a group backed by OpenAI investors including Greg Brockman and venture capitalists Marc Andreessen and Joe Lonsdale. Supporters of Bores have received over $10 million from groups linked to Anthropic plus a $3.5 million pledge from investor Chris Larsen.
Other candidates include state Assembly member Micah Lasher, former Republican lawyer George Conway, healthcare researcher Nina Schwalbe, and activist Jack Schlossberg. Bores has described the race as a test of whether democratic institutions can regulate the technology before it governs them.
