SouthernWorldwide.com – The primary election for New York’s 12th Congressional District has become the second most expensive House primary race ever recorded. This intense competition has transformed into a significant proxy battle over the regulation of artificial intelligence (AI).
The race, which encompasses Manhattan’s Upper East Side, Upper West Side, and Midtown areas, witnessed an astonishing $26.3 million in advertising spending. This figure was reported by AdImpact Politics, highlighting the substantial investment in the contest.
For context, the primary election in Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District earlier this year, featuring Thomas Massie and Ed Gallrein, reportedly holds the top spot with $33.2 million in ad spending. This places the New York race in a historically high spending bracket.
Election results indicated that Micah Lasher, a vocal proponent of stricter AI regulations, emerged victorious. He defeated state Rep. Alex Bores, who is a tech expert and had campaigned extensively on AI safety concerns.
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The outcome of the race was decided by a slim margin. Lasher secured 39% of the vote, while Bores received 35%. Both candidates were vying to succeed longtime Democratic Representative Jerry Nadler.
Bores, who previously worked as a data scientist at Palantir and holds a master’s degree in computer science, became a central figure in the broader conflict. This conflict is occurring between different factions within the AI industry itself.
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According to AdImpact Politics, $9.3 million was spent in support of Bores. He also faced the largest portion of attack ad spending, with $3.6 million in negative advertisements targeting him directly.
Beyond direct ad spending, a super PAC backed by Silicon Valley, known as Leading the Future, invested over $8 million in opposing Bores’ nomination. This effort aimed to prevent lawmakers skeptical of technology from entering Washington, D.C., as reported by The Hill.
This influential group receives funding from prominent figures in the tech industry. These include OpenAI President Greg Brockman, as well as venture capitalists Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz.
Concurrently, multiple AI safety organizations collectively spent more than $20 million to support Bores. This significant expenditure, also detailed by The Hill, underscores the profound divisions within the technology community. The disagreement centers on the extent to which the government should regulate artificial intelligence.
Lasher received $8.6 million in support spending for his campaign. In contrast, $1.6 million was allocated to attack ads targeting him, according to AdImpact Politics.
In addition to the AI policy debate, billionaire and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg contributed millions of his personal funds to support Lasher’s campaign. This financial backing was disclosed in documents filed with the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
