The primary election for New York’s 12th Congressional District has concluded as the second-most expensive House race in history, driven by a massive infusion of campaign spending tied to opposing factions in the artificial intelligence industry. According to data from AdImpact Politics, the contest recorded $26.3 million in total ad spending. The race was held to replace longtime Representative Jerry Nadler, with Micah Lasher defeating state Representative Alex Bores by a margin of 39% to 35% on June 23, 2026. The only House primary race to exceed this total was the Kentucky 4th Congressional District contest between Thomas Massie and Ed Gallrein, which saw $33.2 million in ad spending.

The race functioned as a high-stakes proxy battle regarding the future of federal AI regulation. Alex Bores, a former data scientist at Palantir who holds a computer science degree, faced opposition from industry-backed groups wary of tech-skeptical legislative candidates. A Silicon Valley-backed super PAC named Leading the Future spent over $8 million to oppose Bores, with funding provided by figures including OpenAI President Greg Brockman and venture capitalists Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz. Conversely, various AI safety groups funneled more than $20 million into the race to support Bores’ campaign, underscoring the deep ideological divisions within the technology sector regarding governmental oversight.

Campaign finance data indicates significant investment from both sides. Bores received $9.3 million in support spending but was targeted by $3.6 million in negative attack ads. Micah Lasher received $8.6 million in support, while facing $1.6 million in negative advertising. Beyond the influence of AI-aligned interest groups, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg contributed millions of dollars of his personal wealth to bolster Lasher’s campaign, as noted in documents filed with the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

The primary election for New York’s 12th Congressional District has concluded as the second-most expensive House race in history, driven by a massive infusion of campaign spending tied to opposing factions in the artificial intelligence industry. According to data from AdImpact Politics, the contest recorded $26.3 million in total ad spending. The race was held to replace longtime Representative Jerry Nadler, with Micah Lasher defeating state Representative Alex Bores by a margin of 39% to 35% on June 23, 2026. The only House primary race to exceed this total was the Kentucky 4th Congressional District contest between Thomas Massie and Ed Gallrein, which saw $33.2 million in ad spending.

The race functioned as a high-stakes proxy battle regarding the future of federal AI regulation. Alex Bores, a former data scientist at Palantir who holds a computer science degree, faced opposition from industry-backed groups wary of tech-skeptical legislative candidates. A Silicon Valley-backed super PAC named Leading the Future spent over $8 million to oppose Bores, with funding provided by figures including OpenAI President Greg Brockman and venture capitalists Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz. Conversely, various AI safety groups funneled more than $20 million into the race to support Bores’ campaign, underscoring the deep ideological divisions within the technology sector regarding governmental oversight.

Campaign finance data indicates significant investment from both sides. Bores received $9.3 million in support spending but was targeted by $3.6 million in negative attack ads. Micah Lasher received $8.6 million in support, while facing $1.6 million in negative advertising. Beyond the influence of AI-aligned interest groups, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg contributed millions of dollars of his personal wealth to bolster Lasher’s campaign, as noted in documents filed with the Federal Election Commission (FEC).