AI executives fund ads to oppose Alex Bores in New York House race

In short: New York assemblyman Alex Bores is facing a big-money campaign against his run for Congress, funded by AI industry leaders who disagree with his push for stricter oversight.

What happened

Alex Bores, a member of the New York State Assembly, is running for New York’s 12th congressional district. He announced his campaign in October 2025, aiming to succeed Representative Jerry Nadler. Bores said he is worried about how fast new technology is improving and how it could affect American democracy.

Some top AI executives and investors are now funding efforts to stop him. A political action committee called Leading the Future has labeled Bores its main target and started a $1 million advertising campaign against him in late January 2026. A political action committee, or PAC, is a group that raises and spends money to influence elections, like a pooled campaign wallet.

The PAC has raised $125 million in total and says it has $70 million available to spend. Donors reported include Andreessen Horowitz, OpenAI President Sam Brockman, and a Palantir co-founder. The PAC’s ads claim Bores supported contracts with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, but Bores says he left Palantir because of the company’s ICE contracts.

Why it matters

This fight shows a growing split inside the tech world over AI rules. Bores helped pass New York’s RAISE Act, a state law meant to put stronger guardrails on AI systems, although it was weakened before being signed. At the same time, his campaign is getting major support from other tech workers and “AI safety” groups, including $168,500 from Anthropic, which focuses on building safer AI. For voters, it is a reminder that decisions about AI policy can be shaped not just by debates, but by who can afford the loudest ads.

Source: NYTimes