AI money has entered full power,and New York City's House primary has suddenly become one big fight over who gets to shape AI rules in U.S.
AI-focused Super PACs have raised approximately $100 million this election cycle,and $44 million has already been spent in different congressional races . That is not small thing ah,especially when one House primary starts looking like testing ground for whole AI regulation debate.
Big focus right now is Democratic primary for New York's 12th House district,where Alex Bores is sitting right in middle of storm . He was formerly tech worker,and now his campaign has become proxy fight between people wanting tighter AI safeguards and industry-backed groups wanting lighter rules.
Bores sponsored Raise Act,one of first state laws in U.S . mandating that major AI developers disclose public safety plans . On paper,it sounds like safety-first move only,but for some AI industry groups,this is exactly kind of state-level regulation they don’t want spreading.
Few things standing out clearly here:
- AI-focused Super PACs have raised approximately $100 million,with $44 million already spent.
- $8.2 million has been directed towards Bores' primary campaign .
- Race is now being described by some as an "AI civil war."
And tbh,the attack ad part makes whole thing more uncomfortable . Industry-aligned Super PACs have reportedly gone hard against Bores,while groups backing less strict AI regulations are trying to frame this as bigger fight over future of tech rules .
Funding behind opposition campaigns is coming from Think Big Super PAC,which is affiliated with bipartisan initiative Leading the Future . This group has backing from Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz,and their argument is that AI should be regulated through federal framework,not messy state-by-state system.
But then other groups like You Can Push Back and Jobs and Democracy have come out supporting Bores,saying stronger AI safeguards are needed . So now one Democratic primary in heavily Democratic district is carrying national-level tension inside it.
Polls indicate Bores is in competitive race against fellow Democratic assemblymember Micah Lasher,who also advocates for AI regulations . And that makes this even stranger,because both sides are not simply “pro-AI” or “anti-AI”… it is more about who writes rules,how strict they become,and whose money gets louder before voters decide…
