Assemblymember Micah Lasher will be the Democratic nominee when voters from Chelsea to the Upper West and Upper East Sides decide on a new congressional representative in November, according to The Associated Press.
Lasher, who was endorsed by outgoing Rep. Jerry Nadler, is the winner of a hotly contested primary Tuesday night to likely succeed the longtime incumbent in New York’s 12th Congressional District.
Lasher defeated fellow Assemblyman Alex Bores, Kennedy family member Jack Schlossberg, lawyer George Conway and public health researcher Nina Schwalbe, among other candidates.
Lasher received 39% of votes, compared to Bores’ 35% and Schlossberg’s 10.8%, with more than 85% of the expected vote in, according to The Associated Press.
Lasher was appointed to be Gov. Kathy Hochul’s director of policy in 2021 before being elected to the state Assembly in 2024.
Although the district has changed its number and its boundaries over the years, Nadler has represented at least part of its current form since 1992. He announced his decision to not seek reelection last year, saying it was time to “pass the torch to a new generation.”