NY-12 congressional race: 8 candidates, one seat
Bores, Schlossberg, Conway, Lasher: Who won the NY-12 debate?
FOX 5 NY's political reporter Morgan McKay breaks it down.
NEW YORK CITY - Rep. Jerry Nadler is not seeking reelection – here are the people vying to fill that vacuum.
Meet the 8 candidates
What we know:
Yes, you read that correctly.
MORE: Alex Bores | Micah Lasher | Jack Schlossberg | George Conway | Laura Dunn | Chris Diep | Nina Schwalbe | Patrick Timmins
Alex Bores
Assemblymember Alex Bores currently represents the 73rd District of New York, which encompasses parts of Murray Hill, Turtle Bay, Sutton Place, Midtown East and the Upper East Side.
State Representative Alex Bores, a Democrat from New York and US Democratic House candidate, during a town hall event at Rise Bar in New York, US, on Thursday, April 16, 2026. Bores is participating in a town hall to discuss his LGBTQ+ policy priorit
Bores touts his family history with the city on his campaign website, mentioning that he was born and raised in the district he's now running for.
Appointed an assemblymember in 2023, he has since passed dozens of bills through the state assembly.
The assemblymember, who has a master's degree in computer science, specifically assisted in creating the RAISE Act – legislation that requires the largest AI developers to "develop a safety plan to protect against automated crime, bioweapons and other widespread harm and risks to public safety."
State Representative Alex Bores, a Democrat from New York and US Democratic House candidate, center, speaks during a town hall event at Rise Bar in New York, US, on Thursday, April 16, 2026. Bores is participating in a town hall to discuss his LGBTQ+
In addition to regulating AI, Bores asserts that his priorities regarding the city include:
- abolishing ICE
- pushing back against President Donald Trump's tariffs
- banning assault weapons
- passing Medicare for All
He is endorsed by several government officials and unions, all of which can be found here.
Micah Lasher
Assemblymember Micah Lasher, who was appointed in 2024, previously served as an aide to Nadler; Lasher is also the former chief of staff to then-Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and former policy director for Gov. Kathy Hochul.
Micah Lasher campaigns and distributes flyers as he runs to represent Congressional District 12 on Lexington Avenue. Alone with Mr. Lasher, there are three more leading candidates, Jack Schlossberg, Alex Bores, and George Conway running for nominatio
Lasher represents New York's 69th District, which includes parts of the Upper West Side, Manhattan Valley, Morningside Heights and West Harlem. He mentions on his campaign website that he is a native Upper West Sider.
Also on his website is mention of "Project 2026" – seemingly alluding to Project 2025 – which includes three separate plans.
Like Bores, Lasher also refers to "fighting back" against Trump and several of his policies, as well as working to abolish ICE. The candidate's platform also includes:
- fighting to pass the Women's Health Protection Act
- voting to ban stock trading by congress members
- reversing federal cuts to education funding
- expanding education about the Holocaust and antisemitism
He has been endorsed by Gov. Hochul, City Comptroller Mark Levine and Rep. Nydia Velázquez, along with several other public officials and unions.
Jack Schlossberg
Otherwise known as John "Jack" Bouvier Kennedy Schlossberg, the 33-year-old Yale and Harvard Law graduate previously worked as a political correspondent for Vogue magazine.
DNC CHICAGO, IL AUGUST 20, 2024 - Jack Schlossberg, grandson of President John F. Kennedy, speaks during the 2024 Democratic National Convention at United Center in Chicago on Tuesday, August 20, 2024 in Chicago, IL. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Time
On his campaign website, he expresses that his priorities include:
- instituting a federal tax deduction for renters
- securing federal support to make subway stations more accessible
- making student loan forgiveness easier to obtain
- rolling back tax cuts for the "top 1%"
Schlossberg's website also features sections that pertain specifically to "fighting back against Trump" and abolishing ICE.
His most notable endorsement comes from former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.
George Conway
Unlike the other candidates listed here, George Conway was originally a Republican, who later turned away from the party as a response to Trump's rise to power.
MILWAUKEE, WI - JULY 17: Trump critic, George Conway, attends an event for the group Principles First off site of the RNC on day three of the convention at Pabst Best Place on July 17th, 2024. (Photo by Sara Stathas for the Washington Post)
He's also the ex-husband of Kellyanne Conway, who served as Trump's senior counselor during his first term.
The former Republican also co-founded the Lincoln Project, a political action committee that formed by moderate conservatives to oppose Trump and his ideology.
Much of Conway's campaign seems to be centered around the concept of combatting the president. "I've been fighting Trump for years, and nothing will stop me," the candidate declares in his campaign launch video.
Laura Dunn
Before entering the race, civil rights attorney Laura Dunn worked with former President Obama's administration to develop Title XI guidance.
WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 25: Executive Director of SurvJustice Laura Dunn speaks during a news conference on a Title IX lawsuit outside the Department of Education January 25, 2018 in Washington, DC. Anti-sexual harassment groups held a news conferen
She also went on to found the legal nonprofit SurvJustice, a group that assists sexual assault survivors in civil, campus and criminal proceedings.
On her campaign website, Dunn is the first candidate to not emphasize the president in her policies and platform, instead honing in on:
- supporting responsible blockchain and cryptocurrency innovation
- investing in clean energy and green jobs
- expanding remote work options
- protecting personal data by establishing a Constitutional right to privacy
Both Courage for Democracy and the National Organization for Women have endorsed Dunn.
Chris Diep
Diep worked as a software engineer for Wayfair for over four years – he's now running for the state's 12th congressional district.
A few talking points mentioned on his campaign website include:
- strengthening tenant protections
- fighting corporate price gouging
- supporting worker protections in the face of AI
- expanding resources for local businesses
Nina Schwalbe
Schwalbe founded the public health think tank Spark Street Advisors in 2016, and later went on to assist the Biden administration with Covid-19 vaccine distribution.
With that background in mind, the candidate references health and science near the top of her policies on her campaign website.
Mentioned in that platform section is protecting the Affordable Care Act and reinstating federal scientists and public health officials "fired" by the Trump administration, according to the website.
Other platform sticking points included are:
- establishing an independent AI safety commission
- reasserting Congress' constitutional war powers
- requiring ranked choice voting in all federal primaries and general elections
- restoring and funding the CDC's pandemic preparedness office
Schwalbe has notably been endorsed by Rep. Himes and the Alliance for American Leadership.
Patrick Timmins
After running for Manhattan District Attorney in 2025, Timmins is now seeking to succeed Nadler.
Timmins, unlike several of his competitors, highlights standing "behind Israel" on his campaign website. Other notable policies he endorses include:
- reforming ICE
- instating term limits for both congressional representatives and Supreme Court justices
- eliminating the tax on social security payments
- creating same day and automatic voter registration
The Source: This article includes information from the candidates' campaign websites.