Five Democratic candidates vying for New York's 12th congressional district clashed Thursday in a heated debate hosted by local cable channel PIX11, with the competition centering on big tech regulation and campaign finance as the June 23 primary approaches. The contest to succeed retiring Rep. Jerry Nadler has drawn intense scrutiny over artificial intelligence policy, with millions of dollars in outside spending pouring into the race from both tech-aligned groups supporting and opposing candidates.
The district encompasses upscale Manhattan neighborhoods bordering Central Park and Times Square in Midtown. As a safely Democratic seat where the primary effectively decides the election, the contest has attracted a crowded field including state Assembly Member Micah Lasher, state lawmaker Alex Bores, Jack Schlossberg (grandson of former President John F. Kennedy), and George Conway (a longtime Trump critic). Nadler has endorsed Lasher.
What the Right Is Saying
While the race features only Democratic candidates, Republican commentary on the contest has centered on what critics describe as Democratic divisions over tech policy. Bores sought to reframe the attacks as a coordinated effort by his opponents to undermine his campaign. 'The Trump disinformation is coming from inside the party,' Bores said during the debate, adding: 'With friends like these, who needs Republicans?' The comment referenced what he characterized as misleading attacks being circulated through political advertising.
Bores, a former data scientist at Palantir who says he left the company after it signed a deal to assist the first Trump administration with immigration enforcement, has positioned himself as the candidate willing to take on the technology industry. He sponsored state legislation requiring major AI developers to report dangerous incidents to New York regulators. 'You've seen tonight that I'm nothing like the incessant text and mailers and TV ads that are being sent out to demonize me,' Bores said when debate resumed following a commercial break. 'But I am terrifying to Trump's megadonors and apparently to my opponents as well.'
What the Left Is Saying
Lasher emerged as the most vocal critic of Bores during the debate, arguing that his campaign is financed by tech interests despite his rhetoric about regulating artificial intelligence. 'Alex only wants to tell you half the story, about one AI company that's spending millions to defeat him, and that's bad,' Lasher said. 'But he's not telling you the story about Anthropic, which is spending a million dollars to elect him, or a crypto billionaire who is spending $3.5 million to send him to Congress.' Schlossberg echoed similar concerns, contending that Bores's proposed AI regulation would actually benefit tech companies by giving them too much control over the industry.
Conway offered a broader critique of the Democratic primary contest itself. 'What we saw here tonight was something that Democrats sometimes do a little too well, which was a circular, or really a triangular firing squad, and I think that's a shame,' Conway said. The comment reflected frustration among some party members about intraparty attacks during a period when Republicans control the White House.
What the Numbers Show
The outside spending in this race has reached significant levels, with multiple political action committees directing resources toward influencing the outcome. The AI-backed Think Big PAC launched an advertising campaign claiming Bores was 'bought and sold' by corporate interests. According to debate discussion and candidate statements, at least two major tech-aligned groups have entered the race: one spending against Bores and another reportedly contributing $1 million in support of his candidacy. A crypto billionaire has allegedly directed $3.5 million toward electing Bores.
During a commercial break in the broadcast, three of five commercials aired were specifically about Bores, according to reporting from the event. The district's voter registration heavily favors Democrats, making the primary the decisive contest for control of the seat that Nadler has held for decades.
The Bottom Line
The debate highlighted a central tension within Democratic politics over how to approach artificial intelligence regulation while navigating campaign finance realities in competitive primaries. Bores has attempted to transform attacks over his tech industry ties into evidence that he poses a genuine threat to powerful interests, a strategy some analysts view as effective given the surge in outside spending directed at his candidacy.
The race enters its final weeks with uncertainty about whether the spending against Bores will damage or elevate his campaign. With Nadler's endorsement providing Lasher institutional support and Schlossberg's national profile from his Kennedy lineage attracting attention, Bores has emerged as a candidate whose tech policy positions have made him both a fundraising beneficiary and a target of significant political advertising. The outcome could signal how Democratic voters in progressive Manhattan districts view the party's approach to regulating emerging technologies.