Micah Lasher won the eight-way Democratic primary to represent New York’s 12th Congressional District on Tuesday, outpacing the crowded field in a race that saw the giants of the artificial intelligence industry spend tens of millions of dollars trying to influence the outcome.
Lasher’s victory over Assemblymember Alex Bores, Kennedy family scion Jack Schlossberg and a handful of other candidates puts him in a position to represent one of the nation’s most-sought-after districts, which includes all of Midtown Manhattan and the Upper East and Upper West sides.
The Associated Press called the race for Lasher just after 10 p.m.
The race drew more than $39 million in spending from outside interests, according to Federal Election Commission records. That includes $10 million from former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who funded a super PAC supporting Lasher, his former aide.
But the bulk of the outside spending — more than $20 million — came from PACs funded by AI executives, fueling a barrage of glossy mailers and advertisements aimed at propping up or tearing down Bores, who passed a regulatory bill in Albany last year that split the industry.
With the win, Lasher sets himself up to succeed Rep. Jerry Nadler, a Democrat who has represented the Upper West Side in Congress for more than three decades.
Nadler has been a longtime foe of President Donald Trump and served as the top-ranking Democrat on the powerful House Judiciary Committee.
This is a developing story and may be updated.