The House primary in New York's 12th Congressional District turned into a high-stakes proxy war over AI regulation, becoming the second most expensive House primary race on record.
The race, covering Manhattan's Upper East Side, Upper West Side, and Midtown, saw a total of $26.3 million in ad spending, according to AdImpact Politics data.
This year's race in Kentucky's 4th Congressional District between Thomas Massie and Ed Gallrein ranks first with $33.2 million in spending.
Micah Lasher wins the election
Election results showed that Micah Lasher, a strong advocate for stricter AI regulations, defeated state assembly member Alex Bores, a tech expert who ran a campaign focused on security concerns.
Lasher received 39 percent of the vote, while Bores received 35 percent. The two candidates were vying to replace longtime Democratic Representative Jerry Nadler.
Silicon Valley and AI groups face off
Bores, a former Palantir data scientist with a master's degree in computer science, became a key target in the broader struggle between rival groups in the AI industry.
According to AdImpact Politics, $9.3 million was spent to support Bores, while he was also the target of $3.6 million in negative ads, the largest share of attack ads.
According to The Hill, the Silicon Valley-backed super PAC Leading the Future spent over $8 million against Bores's candidacy to keep technology-skeptical lawmakers out of Washington. The group is funded by major tech figures including OpenAI President Greg Brockman and venture capitalists Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz.
On the other hand, numerous AI safety groups spent over $20 million to support Bores, highlighting the deep divide within the tech community over how aggressively the government should regulate AI.
Bloomberg provides millions in support for Lasher
According to AdImpact Politics data, Lasher received $8.6 million in support spending, while $1.6 million was spent on negative ads targeting him.
Beyond the AI policy battle, billionaire and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg funneled millions of dollars from his personal fortune to support Lasher's campaign, according to Federal Election Commission documents.
