{"id":110458,"date":"2026-01-23T23:16:27","date_gmt":"2026-01-23T23:16:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/110458\/"},"modified":"2026-01-23T23:16:27","modified_gmt":"2026-01-23T23:16:27","slug":"special-elections-big-names-and-a-little-drag-inside-the-hk-dems-gala","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/110458\/","title":{"rendered":"Special Elections, Big Names and a Little Drag \u2014 Inside the HK Dems Gala"},"content":{"rendered":"

Rise Bar was packed Thursday night as the Hell\u2019s Kitchen Democrats held their Annual Winter Gala \u2014 a two-hour blur of candidates, activists, neighbors and drag royalty at one of the neighborhood\u2019s most popular gay bars.<\/p>\n

\"HKThe crowd at Rise Bar for the HK Dems Gala this week. Photo: Phil O\u2019Brien<\/p>\n

We went along to take an early pulse-check on this year\u2019s unusually stacked political calendar: the wave of special elections and crowded primaries<\/a> that will shape the West Side through 2026.<\/p>\n

In the growing NY-12 congressional scrum, Assemblymember Micah Lasher and Assemblymember Alex Bores were among the most visible candidates working the room \u2014 although we also spotted Jami Floyd and Chris Diep.<\/p>\n

Drag hosts Marti Gould Cummings and Jackie Cox kept the energy up \u2014 and offered a reminder that name recognition means a lot in politics. At one point, they gave a shoutout to George Conway, who was in the throng sipping on a Moscow Mule as the night unfolded.<\/p>\n

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\nMicah Lasher talks to his old boss Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal, Alex Bores and George Conway exchange phone numbers, Chris Diep, Jami Floyd, and Conway sips his Moscow Mule as Jackie Cox entertains. Photos: Phil O\u2019Brien<\/p>\n

But the contest that felt most immediately local is the one about to open up: the looming fight for Councilmember Erik Bottcher\u2019s seat, as he heads for the State Senate.<\/p>\n

It took nearly the full two hours \u2014 and a bit of coaxing (thanks fellow photographer Max Guliani for help with the herding) \u2014 to get the four declared candidates for District 3 to climb on stage together for a group photo: Carl Wilson, Layla Law-Gisiko, Leslie Boghosian Murphy and Lindsey Boylan.<\/p>\n

Once they finally did it, though, something kind of wonderful happened: they stepped down from the stage\u2026 and promptly couldn\u2019t stop talking to each other.<\/p>\n

\"HKThe four candidates for councilmember seat \u2014 (from left) Carl Wilson, Lindsey Boylan, Leslie Boghosian Murphy and Layla Law-Gisiko \u2014 chat after their photo call. Photo: Phil O\u2019Brien<\/p>\n

The special election for the 47th Senate District<\/a> begins Saturday with early voting and runs through Election Day on February 3, when Bottcher will face Republican candidate Charlotte Friedman<\/a>. Democrats expect Bottcher to win, but the race is now officially underway.<\/p>\n

Bottcher wasn\u2019t able to make the gala, even though he was listed as the event\u2019s top sponsor<\/a>. We caught up with him by phone to ask about the $700,000 he raised within 24 hours<\/a> of launching a congressional bid \u2014 before pivoting to the State Senate<\/a>.<\/p>\n

He told W42ST that all donors were offered refunds; some asked for their contributions back, but most were comfortable letting their money continue to support him. He said the remaining funds will be transferred into his state campaign account, under the applicable rules. The Bottcher 2026 campaign\u2019s first full federal disclosure report \u2014 its 2025 Year-End filing \u2014 is due January 31 and will be posted for public review on the FEC\u2019s website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"HKThe more formal photo \u2014 (from left) Layla Law-Gisiko, Leslie Boghosian Murphy, Carl Wilson and Lindsey Boylan \u2014 taken by Max Guliani Photo: Phil O\u2019Brien<\/p>\n

And yes: we\u2019re still keeping an eye on the broader NY-12 circus \u2014 and we still haven\u2019t bumped into Jack Schlossberg on the campaign trail. Hard to understand how the lure of drag in Hell\u2019s Kitchen couldn\u2019t even pull him out of Chelsea.<\/p>\n

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