Micah Lasher holds off Bores, Schlossberg to win NY-12 Democratic Congressional primary

Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News on Jun 23, 2026

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Micah Lasher won the battle to replace retiring Rep. Jerry Nadler representing the Manhattan liberal bastion of the NY-12 congressional district Tuesday, which turned into a surprising fight over the influence of artificial intelligence and Big Tech.

Assembly members Lasher and Alex Bores were front-runners in the crowded Democratic primary to represent the district spanning the Upper West Side and Upper East Side, along with Jack Schlossberg, whose grandfather was President John F. Kennedy.

Lasher was considered the favorite at the outset of the campaign, in large part because he was Nadler’s protege and hand-picked successor who has spent decades working his way up through the political ranks in his Upper West Side political stronghold.

A lifelong Upper West Sider, he racked up more endorsements of local elected officials and won a big boost from former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who funded a super PAC to back him.

Bores, who represents the Upper East Side, was more of a wild card because of the torrent of outside spending both supporting and opposing him over his proposals to regulate AI. A former software engineer, he portrayed himself as an innovative and influential voice on the emerging technology while Lasher accused him of being in the pocket of some Big Tech billionaires. Bores also won the somewhat surprising backing of progressive groups.

Schlossberg, a youthful social media influencer, started strong in the race, perhaps mostly based on his famous family’s name. But polls showed his support ebbing as the race hit the home stretch in recent weeks.

George Conway, a conservative lawyer turned outspoken critic of President Trump was also vying for the seat, along with several minor candidates.

The actual policy differences between the candidates were fairly limited, even on hot-button issues like support for Israel.

Both Lasher and Bores are both strong supporters of Israel. Schlossberg called for an end to military aid to Israel.

They all share liberal criticisms of Trump, although each claimed they would be the most effective in thwarting his agenda.

Unlike his actions in several other contentious NYC congressional races, Mayor Zohran Mamdani did not make an endorsement in the NY-12 race. Many analysts gave Lasher an edge as the West Side usually outvotes the East Side.

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