Longtime Dem incumbent’s chosen successor wins crowded NYC primary as big-name rivals fall short

New York Assemblyman Micah Lasher won the Democratic primary Tuesday to replace retiring Rep.Jerry Nadler, defeating a crowded field that includedanti-Trump lawyer George Conway, Kennedy family scion Jack Schlossberg and fellow New York State Assemblyman Alex Bores.

The race drew outsized attention becauseincumbent Rep.Jerry Nadler’s retirementcreated a rare open-seat contest in a Manhattan district he has represented for more than three decades, since 1992. 

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Thecrowded Democratic primaryfeatured a mix of local elected officials and national names, including George Conway, a conservative attorney turned high-profile Trump critic who was formerly married to Kellyanne Conway, one of Trump’s top White House advisers during his first term.

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It also featured a run from Jack Schlossberg, thegrandson of former President John F.Kennedy,whose famous family name and large social media following brought national attention to the otherwise hyperlocal Manhattan primary.

Rep.Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y.(AP Photo/J.Scott Applewhite, File)

Lasher also fended off a challenge from New York state lawmaker Alex Bores, whose campaign became a test case in the political power of the AI industry after the former computer engineer helped push New York’s RAISE Act, a state-level AI safety law aimed at forcing major developers to publish safety plans and disclose risks tied to the most powerful models.

Hispush for tougher AI guardrailsdrew heavy opposition from tech-aligned super PACs, which responded by pouring millions into the race against him, turning the Manhattan primary into a proxy war over whether states should be allowed to crack down on the rapidly growing industry.

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Campaign signage for State Representative Micah Lasher, a Democrat from New York and US House candidate, and George Conway, US Democratic House candidate for New York, during a primary election in New York, US, on Tuesday, June 23, 2026.Tuesday’s votes will test the political strength of New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who has endorsed several insurgent candidates against Democratic stalwarts.(John Lamparski/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Lasher entered the race as the most obvious establishment heir to Nadler, drawing support from the retiring congressman and other major New York political figures.His win would suggest that local institutional backing still mattered in a race where several rivals had stronger national profiles.

Lasher previously worked for Nadler,Gov.Kathy Hochuland served as director of state legislative affairs under former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.He entered the race with support from all three, giving him significant backing from prominent New York Democrats.

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Micah Lasher campaigns and distributes flyers as he runs to represent Congressional District 12 on Lexington Avenue.Alone with Mr.Lasher, there are three more leading candidates, Jack Schlossberg, Alex Bores, and George Conway running for nomination by the Democratic Party in the primaries.(Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)

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Lasher will be heavily favored in November’sgeneral electionin the solidly Democratic district, which includes some of Manhattan’s wealthiest and most liberal neighborhoods, including the Upper West Side, Upper East Side, Midtown and Chelsea.