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The primary for New York’s 12th Congressional District has emerged as the second-most expensive House primary race on record after becoming a high-stakes proxy battle over artificial intelligence (AI) regulation.
The race — which covers Manhattan’s Upper East Side, Upper West Side and Midtown — saw a staggering $26.3 million in ad spending, according to AdImpact Politics.
Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District between Thomas Massie and Ed Gallrein, held this year, reportedly ranked first with $33.2 million in ad spending.
Election results showed Micah Lasher, a strong advocate for stricter AI regulations, defeating state Rep. Alex Bores, a tech expert who campaigned heavily on safety concerns.
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State Assembly member Alex Bores (D-NY) is surrounded by supporters at his watch party at The Freehand Hotel after conceding the congressional race to Micah Lasher on June 23, 2026 in New York City. (Laura Brett/Getty Images)
The contest was decided by a narrow margin, with Lasher securing 39% of the vote and Bores receiving 35% as they competed to replace longtime Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler.
Bores, a former data scientist at Palantir who holds a master’s degree in computer science, became a key target in the broader fight between competing factions of the AI industry.
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State Representative Micah Lasher, a Democrat from New York and US House candidate, during a primary election night watch party in New York, US, on Tuesday, June 23, 2026. (John Lamparski/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
According to AdImpact Politics, $9.3 million was spent supporting Bores, who also faced the largest share of attack ad spending, with $3.6 million in negative ads targeting him.
Beyond ad spending, the Silicon Valley-backed super PAC Leading the Future spent more than $8 million opposing Bores’ nomination in an effort to keep tech-skeptical lawmakers out of Washington, according to the Hill.
The group is funded by major tech figures including OpenAI President Greg Brockman and venture capitalists Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz.
Meanwhile, multiple AI safety groups spent more than $20 million backing Bores, the Hill reported, highlighting the deep divide within the tech community over how aggressively the government should regulate artificial intelligence.
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Campaign signage for State Rep. Micah Lasher is displayed during a primary election in New York on June 23, 2026. (John Lamparski/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Lasher received $8.6 million in support spending, while $1.6 million was spent on attack ads targeting him, according to AdImpact Politics.
Beyond the AI policy battle, billionaire and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg poured millions of his own money to support Lasher’s campaign, according to Federal Election Commission (FEC) documents.
