Outside groups spend about $12M in New York’s NY-12 Democratic primary

In short: Outside groups have poured roughly $12 million into the Democratic primary for New York’s 12th Congressional District, with a large share focused on candidate Alex Bores.

What's going on

Outside groups have already spent about $12 million trying to influence the Democratic primary in NY-12, a Manhattan-based House district. Much of the money is aimed at Assembly Member Alex Bores, either to help him or to defeat him.

This spending is coming largely from super PACs. A super PAC is a political group that can raise and spend unlimited money to support or attack candidates, as long as it does not coordinate with the campaigns (think of it like a separate advertising team that is not supposed to take instructions from the candidate).

Some of the biggest spending is tied to rival parts of the AI industry. Reported independent spending includes about $2.4 million from an AI-aligned super PAC spending against Bores, and about $1.2 million from a different AI-aligned super PAC spending in his favor. Another major player is Michael Bloomberg’s super PAC, which has spent about $4.3 million supporting Assembly Member Micah Lasher.

The race is open because Rep. Jerry Nadler is retiring. It has a crowded field, and outside advertising can matter a lot simply because it makes voters recognize a name. A poll cited in reporting put Jack Schlossberg at 22%, Bores at 19%, Lasher at 14%, and George Conway at 10%.

What to watch

Watch whether the flood of outside ads changes who voters know and trust before Election Day. Also watch how candidates talk about AI rules, since Bores has made AI regulation a central issue and the spending fight is increasingly framed as a proxy battle over how strictly Congress should oversee AI.

Source: NYTimes