New York Assemblyman Micah Lasher won the Democratic primary Tuesday to replace retiring Rep. Jerry Nadler, defeating a crowded field that included anti‑Trump lawyer George Conway, Kennedy family scion Jack Schlossberg and fellow Assemblyman Alex Bores.
The contest attracted national attention because Nadler’s retirement opened the first open‑seat race in Manhattan since he first won the district in 1992.
Candidates ranged from local elected officials to nationally known figures. George Conway, a former White House adviser’s ex‑spouse and vocal critic of former President Trump, entered the race alongside Jack Schlossberg, the grandson of President John F. Kennedy, whose family name and large social‑media following amplified the race’s profile.
State Assemblyman Alex Bores, a former computer engineer, centered his campaign on the RAISE Act, a state‑level AI safety bill that would require major developers to publish safety plans and disclose risks associated with powerful models.
Bores’ push for stricter AI regulations prompted opposition from technology‑aligned super‑PACs, which invested heavily in the primary, turning the Manhattan contest into a de facto battle over state authority to regulate the fast‑growing AI industry.
Lasher positioned himself as the establishment candidate, receiving endorsements from the retiring congressman and other prominent New York Democrats, including the governor and a former city mayor.
His political résumé includes staff roles for Nadler, Governor Kathy Hochul and a directorship of state legislative affairs under former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, providing him with extensive institutional support.
The district, encompassing the Upper West Side, Upper East Side, Midtown and Chelsea, has consistently voted Democratic, making Lasher the clear favorite for the November general election.
