New York's 12th Congressional District Primary Becomes Second Most Expensive House Race

The primary for New York's 12th Congressional District has become the second-most expensive House primary race in history, with $26.3 million spent on advertisements, according to AdImpact Politics. This race, which includes Manhattan's Upper East Side, Upper West Side, and Midtown, follows Kentucky's 4th Congressional District primary, which had $33.2 million in ad spending. Micah Lasher, who advocates for stricter AI regulations, won the primary with 39% of the vote, defeating state Rep. Alex Bores, who received 35%. Bores, a former data scientist at Palantir, was a target in the ongoing debate within the AI industry. Support for Bores included $9.3 million in spending, while he faced $3.6 million in negative ads. The Silicon Valley-backed super PAC Leading the Future spent over $8 million opposing Bores, while AI safety groups contributed more than $20 million to support him. Lasher received $8.6 million in support and faced $1.6 million in attack ads. Additionally, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg contributed significantly to Lasher's campaign, as documented by the Federal Election Commission.