Micah Lasher Wins NY-12 Democratic Primary Amid Heavy AI-Related Spending Micah Lasher’s victory in New York’s 12th Congressional District capped an unusually expensive House primary in Manhattan, where rival AI industry factions poured millions into a down-ballot race that became a test of their political clout.

Early build‑up: AI’s “money machine” targets Manhattan

In the run-up to Tuesday’s vote, the race was framed as AI’s first major test at the ballot box, with tech companies and their allies spending heavily to stop Assemblymember Alex Bores, a prominent advocate for stricter AI regulation. The contest quickly evolved into a $27 million AI proxy war centered on Bores’ candidacy.

Corporate-aligned super PACs such as Leading the Future, backed in part by executives at OpenAI, Palantir and Andreessen Horowitz, targeted Bores over his role in crafting New York’s RAISE Act, a sweeping AI safety bill that imposed new guardrails on frontier AI companies. At the same time, rival AI-safety-focused groups, including those linked to Anthropic, poured millions into the district to defend him.

The primary night outcome

On June 23, voters handed Lasher a narrow win over Bores, 39.1% to 35%, despite the unprecedented outside spending. Observers characterized the result as a draw for the AI industry, with neither Anthropic-aligned nor OpenAI-aligned forces able to claim a decisive victory.

Nationally, the race was watched as an early indicator of how much “AI money” can shape elections, as industry-backed groups have raised hundreds of millions of dollars and already intervened in nearly 30 races.

Lasher’s message and the broader backlash

In his victory speech, Lasher directly rebuked the tech giants, telling supporters he had “some news for the two big AI companies” that tried to sway the outcome: he would not take cues from either when it came to protecting “our kids” and “our jobs.” On the trail, he cast himself as skeptical of Silicon Valley’s push for lighter-touch AI rules, warning that the technology could “displace workers, exacerbate inequalities, and pose a threat to our environment and public safety.”

Analysts say the results suggest that, while AI companies can flood races with cash, “AI money finds resistance on the campaign trail,” and that candidates calling for strong AI safeguards are “far from silenced.” With both Lasher and Bores backing robust AI safety measures, the industry’s $27 million bet may have secured attention in Washington—but not necessarily a reliably deregulatory ally in Congress.

Continue reading https://foxvector.com/stories/019efd43-3dd8-1afd-7394-149bc8a309bf