The primary for New York’s 12th Congressional District has emerged as the second-most expensive House primary race on record after becoming a high-stakes proxy battle over artificial intelligence (AI) regulation.The race — which covers Manhattan’s Upper East Side, Upper West Side and Midtown — saw a staggering $26.3 million in ad spending, according to AdImpact Politics. Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District between Thomas Massie and Ed Gallrein, held this year, reportedly ranked first with $33.2 million in ad spending. Election results showed Micah Lasher, a strong advocate for stricter AI regulations, defeating state Rep.Alex Bores, a tech expert who campaigned heavily on safety concerns.DEM LAWMAKERS CRY FOUL AS HOCHUL GUTS AI SAFETY BILL AMID BIG TECH PRESSUREState Assembly member Alex Bores (D-NY) is surrounded by supporters at his watch party at The Freehand Hotel after conceding the congressional race to Micah Lasher on June 23, 2026 in New York City.
(Laura Brett/Getty Images)The contest was decided by a narrow margin, with Lasher securing 39% of the vote and Bores receiving 35% as they competed to replace longtime Democratic Rep.Jerry Nadler. Bores, a former data scientist at Palantir who holds a master’s degree in computer science, became a key target in the broader fight between competing factions of the AI industry.AI-BACKED SUPER PAC EXPANDS INTO MULTIPLE GOP PRIMARIES AFTER CLAIMING EARLY WINSState Representative Micah Lasher, a Democrat from New York and US House candidate, during a primary election night watch party in New York, US, on Tuesday, June 23, 2026.
(John Lamparski/Bloomberg via Getty Images)According to AdImpact Politics, $9.3 million was spent supporting Bores, who also faced the largest share of attack ad spending, with $3.6 million in negative ads targeting him.Beyond ad spending, the Silicon Valley-backed super PAC Leading the Future spent more than $8 million opposing Bores’ nomination in an effort to keep tech-skep...