In a closely watched battle, Alex Bores, a pro-RAISE Act advocate, lost the Democratic primary for New York’s 12th Congressional district. Despite being targeted by a pro-AI super PAC, Bores managed to secure a respectable 35% of the vote, narrowly falling short to Assemblyman Micah Lasher. The $27 million proxy war between Anthropic and OpenAI largely failed to sway the outcome, as local politics and the support of the city’s establishment ultimately proved decisive. Why it matters: The outcome highlights the challenges of regulating AI and the influence of big money in local politics, particularly in key congressional districts.