A Democratic congressional primary in Manhattan has become one of the clearest signs yet that artificial intelligence is no longer just a technology issue. It is now a major political money fight.
New York’s 12th Congressional District, a safely Democratic seat covering parts of Manhattan, has become the center of an expensive battle between rival AI-linked political groups. The fight is focused largely on Assemblymember Alex Bores, a congressional candidate and former tech worker who sponsored one of New York’s first major AI safety bills.
AI-focused Super PACs have raised more than $100 million this election cycle, and nearly half of the spending so far has reportedly gone into the NY-12 primary. The race has drawn extraordinary attention because it could help shape how Congress approaches the first major wave of AI regulation.
Bores became a target after sponsoring the RAISE Act, a New York state law requiring major AI developers to publish public safety plans. Supporters say the measure creates needed guardrails for powerful technology. Critics in the tech industry argue that state-by-state rules could create a confusing patchwork of regulations and weaken U.S. competitiveness against China.
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One major group, Leading the Future, has spent millions attacking Bores. The network has been backed by prominent Silicon Valley figures, including venture capitalists Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz and OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman. The group supports a federal AI framework and opposes aggressive state-level rules.
But the attack campaign sparked a counteroffensive. Rival Super PACs supporting stronger AI safeguards have spent millions defending Bores and attacking what they describe as billionaire efforts to buy the seat. Those groups include Public First, which has received support from Anthropic, and You Can Push Back, funded by crypto billionaire Chris Larsen.
The result has been described as an “AI civil war.” On one side are tech investors and executives who want to avoid a state-by-state regulatory system. On the other side are AI-safety advocates, labor-aligned groups and some tech figures who argue that Congress must not let the industry write its own rules.
The outside spending has reshaped the race. Bores was once seen as an underdog in a crowded primary that also includes Micah Lasher, Jack Schlossberg and George Conway. But the intense advertising against him may have increased his profile and turned him into a national symbol of the AI regulation fight.
The debate also reflects public unease about AI. Polls have shown that many voters believe the technology is advancing too quickly and could threaten jobs, privacy and democratic accountability. New York City is especially exposed to AI disruption because many of its jobs are in white-collar fields such as finance, media, marketing, software and law.
That makes NY-12 a useful testing ground. If AI money can shape a race in one of the country’s most educated and politically engaged districts, similar spending may soon appear in primaries across the country.
The spending also raises transparency concerns. Some groups disclose major donors, while others are connected to dark-money networks that do not reveal all contributors. That makes it difficult for voters to know which companies, executives or industries are trying to influence AI policy.
For Bores, the race has become a referendum on whether lawmakers can regulate AI without being punished by powerful tech interests. For the industry, it is a test of whether political spending can shape the early rules governing one of the most important technologies of the decade.
Why It Matters
The NY-12 race matters because it shows how quickly AI companies and investors are moving into electoral politics. The next Congress may write the first major national AI laws, and Super PACs are already trying to influence who gets a seat at the table.
What Comes Next
Voters in NY-12 will decide whether the AI money backlash helps or hurts Bores. Regardless of the result, the race is likely to become a model for future fights over AI regulation, tech money and congressional power.
