Assemblymen Micah Lasher and Alex Bores, leading candidates in the Democratic primary for New York’s 10th congressional district, have become the focus of a $16 million super‑PAC war funded by artificial‑intelligence giants. Groups linked to OpenAI and rival Anthropic have poured money into mailers, TV spots and Knicks‑finals ads, turning the Manhattan race into a high‑stakes showdown. The spending surge reflects investors' fear of tighter AI rules.

Together with a separate $10 million infusion from former mayor Michael Bloomberg supporting Lasher, the AI‑related spending could make the contest one of the costliest House primaries ever. Federal filings show pro‑Bores spending just edged out anti‑Bores outlays, while Nuestra PAC added another $2 million against Lasher, underscoring how quickly tech‑backed money can reshape local politics. The intensity signals that Washington's tech policy is now a battlefield.

Both Bores and Lasher trail in polls at a dead heat, while outsiders Jack Schlossberg and George Conway lack comparable war chests. The battle spotlights corporate influence concerns and foreshadows a broader midterm fight, where AI firms have pledged to spend hundreds of millions to sway regulatory outcomes. The victor will represent a district packed with top donors.