Pat Ryan Endorses Alex Bores in New York’s 12th District Primary

Rep. Pat Ryan announced his endorsement of state Assemblymember Alex Bores as the Democratic candidate to replace retiring Rep. Jerry Nadler in New York’s 12th Congressional District. Ryan cited Bores’ pro-regulation stance on artificial intelligence (AI) as the primary reason for his support.

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The primary has become a focal point for the national debate over AI oversight. Bores, a former Palantir employee, authored the state-level AI safety RAISE Act and has positioned himself as a critic of data-analytics firms. His campaign frames the race as a contest over whether Congress will act decisively before AI outpaces existing rules.

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• Alex Bores – Assemblymember, AI-safety legislator, Palantir alumnus.

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• Pat Ryan – Hudson Valley Democrat, first sitting NY delegate to endorse Bores.

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• Michael Mulgrew – President, United Federation of Teachers, Bores’ union backer.

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• Our Revolution – Bernie Sanders-founded organization praising Bores’ anti-oligarchy stance.

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• Opponents – Assemblymember Micah Lasher (backed by Nadler, Velázquez, Gov. Kathy Hochul, former Mayor Mike Bloomberg), Jack Schlossberg (supported by former Speaker Nancy Pelosi), commentator George Conway, and several lesser-known challengers.

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• Pro-AI super-PACs have spent “millions” to oppose Bores, according to Ryan’s endorsement remarks.

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• Public polling for the race is limited; internal polls from earlier in the year show no clear frontrunner.

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• The 12th District encompasses a large portion of Manhattan.

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Ryan’s endorsement emphasizes that Bores’ AI policy places him on “the right side” of the issue. Bores’ campaign asserts a shared belief with Ryan that the next Congress must enact decisive AI regulation before the technology outpaces governance. Bores later said the Democratic Party would be “lucky” if Ryan becomes “its new face.”

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A pro-AI super-PAC, representing “Big Tech billionaires,” has funded extensive advertising against Bores, aiming to “silence” his regulatory agenda. Lasher’s campaign enjoys endorsements from senior Democratic officials, positioning him as the establishment alternative.

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Sources differ on the precise amount of money spent against Bores, citing only “millions” without exact figures. Additionally, the lack of comprehensive public polling leaves the candidate field’s relative strengths unclear.

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• “A handful of the richest people in the history of the world are spending millions to defeat him because they’re terrified of a true leader with the courage and the expertise to take them on,” — Pat Ryan, U.S. Representative

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• “won’t back down” as “Big Tech billionaires” try to “silence him.” — Michael Mulgrew, United Federation of Teachers President

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• “afraid to name or take on the oligarchy that’s rigging the system against working people.” — Our Revolution statement

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• “share a belief that the next Congress must take decisive action to regulate artificial intelligence before this transformative technology outpaces the rules meant to govern it” — Alex Bores campaign release

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The Democratic primary is scheduled for later this year. With endorsements split between establishment figures and AI-regulation advocates, the race will test how central AI policy has become in New York politics and may influence broader congressional debates on technology oversight.

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