Understand AI policy before you vote.

Bores loses NY-12 to Lasher — AI industry's marquee target falls despite being outspent 2-to-1

Micah Lasher won the NY-12 Democratic primary 39% to 35% over Alex Bores, the AI safety candidate who wrote New York's RAISE Act. The race drew $27.41M in AI PAC spending — $19.26M in pro-safety support for Bores vs $8.15M from Leading the Future opposing him — making it the most expensive AI PAC contest of the 2026 cycle. Lasher, a Nadler protégé backed by $10M+ from Michael Bloomberg, was favored from the start. In his victory speech, he disavowed both AI PAC networks: 'I won't be taking my cues from either of you when it comes to protecting our kids, our jobs, our environment.' In his concession, Bores called Leading the Future's funders 'a handful of oligarchs hellbent on preventing any regulation of their industry.'

Why this mattersThe first true test of whether AI industry money can defeat a pro-regulation candidate ended ambiguously. Leading the Future spent more in NY-12 than any other race and got the outcome it wanted — but pro-safety groups outspent it more than 2-to-1, and Lasher publicly rejected both sides. The clearer signal: pouring $27M of AI-coded money into a single House primary did not visibly change a race that institutional Democratic politics had already shaped.