AI Industry PACs Clash in NY Congressional Race Over Regulation
A fierce financial battle is unfolding in a New York congressional race, pitting artificial intelligence companies against each other in a high-stakes proxy war over the future of AI regulation. At the center is Alex Bores, a former Palantir data scientist and current New York State Assembly member running for Congress in NY-12. Bores has become a primary target for the super PAC 'Leading the Future,' which is funded by tech billionaires including Andreessen Horowitz and OpenAI’s Greg Brockman. The PAC has launched attack ads highlighting Bores's past work at Palantir, a company known for its controversial contracts with ICE. The offensive against Bores is a direct response to his legislative stance. He is the proponent of the RAISE Act, a bill that would require AI developers to disclose safety protocols and report serious system misuse, positioning him as a pro-regulation candidate. In response, a rival super PAC funded by Anthropic has begun spending to support Bores, creating a rare scenario of dueling AI interests flooding a single congressional primary with millions of dollars. This clash exemplifies how the AI industry is seeking to shape policy by influencing elections long before legislation reaches a vote. The race to replace the retiring Rep. Jerry Nadler is highly competitive, with Bores considered a frontrunner among several candidates who have raised over $1 million. The contest has become a national bellwether for the brewing political fight over AI governance. With super PACs already pouring money into the 2026 midterms, the outcome in New York could signal the political viability of stricter AI regulation and set the tone for how the technology is governed in the United States.
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Photo by John Nacion, Variety / Getty Images As informed by Techcrunch If you have seen the latest ads targeting New York State Assembly member Alex Bores, you may have noticed references to his previous work at Palantir – the artificial intelligence company that features in the controversial ...
Dueling pro-AI PACs have centered around backing or targeting one New York congressional bid: Alex Bores, whose RAISE Act requires AI developers to disclose safety protocols and report serious system misuse.
A pro-regulation AI PAC is launching a six-figure ad buy supporting a candidate in a competitive New York congressional primary. The lawmaker, Alex Bores, was targeted last year by a different AI PAC, Leading the Future, which opposes more regulation.
Next up, the Rag had a conversation ... Alex Bores, who is considered one of the frontrunners in the NY-12 congressional race, and who has been in the headlines recently for his work on regulating artificial intelligence, which made him a target of attack ads funded by a Super PAC. Bores worked as a data scientist for five years at the beginning of his career at Palantir, a software and AI company that ...
The AI battle is just one angle ... into the congressional contest in New York. Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler, 78, the longest-serving House member from the state, announced last year that he would retire in 2026, pointing to the need for generational change in his party. Five candidates raised more than $1 million for their campaigns last year, including Bores and Jack Schlossberg, the Kennedy family scion who has leveraged his at-times-edgy social media platform into a House bid...
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