More than $27 million in outside spending has flooded into New York’s congressional primaries, with AI-focused super PACs leading the charge in what’s become the most expensive primary battle of the 2026 cycle. The money is flowing into a single district, NY-12, where the fight over AI regulation has turned a local Democratic primary into a national proxy war.
The race and the money
The June 23 NY-12 Democratic primary has become ground zero for a clash between AI companies and safety advocates. At the center is state Assemblymember Alex Bores, a supporter of the Raise Act, which would impose safety requirements on AI developers.
That stance made Bores a target. Leading the Future, a super PAC formed in 2025, has directed approximately $8 million specifically against his campaign. The group counts Andreessen Horowitz among its backers. OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman is also listed as a supporter.
On the other side, counter-groups like Public First Action have matched or exceeded that spending to prop up Bores. The result is a spending arms race that has pushed total outside expenditures in New York’s congressional primaries past $27 million when factoring in contributions from crypto-affiliated donors and other groups.
