George Conway loses N.Y. congressional primary, finishing fifth in crowded field

Attorney George Conway, a co-founder of the Lincoln Project and one of the country’s most prominent critics of President Trump, lost his bid for a Manhattan congressional seat Tuesday, finishing fifth in a Democratic primary that saw New York Assemblyman Micah Lasher emerge as the front-runner to succeed retiring Rep. Jerry Nadler.

With 94% of scanners reporting, Mr. Lasher led the eight-candidate field with 39% of the vote, followed by fellow Assemblyman Alex Bores at 35%, Jack Schlossberg at about 11% and Nina Schwalbe at about 7%. Mr. Conway drew roughly 6% of the vote, landing in fifth place.

The Associated Press called the race at 10:08 p.m. Mr. Lasher, who had been endorsed by the outgoing Mr. Nadler, will be the Democratic nominee when voters from Chelsea to the Upper West and Upper East Sides choose a new congressional representative in November. 

Mr. Lasher managed to sidestep a proxy war over artificial intelligence regulation that consumed much of the race, backed by major state party leaders, including Gov. Kathy Hochul and former Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Mr. Bloomberg injected close to $10 million into a super PAC supporting Mr. Lasher.

Mr. Conway, the former husband of Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway, centered his campaign on impeaching the president and ran as a self-described Trump provocateur, testing whether a strident anti-Trump message could propel a candidate in a Democratic primary. 

Mr. Conway co-founded the Lincoln Project, an anti-Trump political action committee that has funded ads and initiatives criticizing the president during both of his terms in office. He officially launched his congressional campaign on Jan. 6, 2026 — the fifth anniversary of the Capitol riot — with a video opening on clips of the Jan. 6 attack, arguing that the stakes for democracy had “never been higher.”

Mr. Schlossberg, 33, entered the race with instant name recognition from his family legacy but little political experience. The grandson of President John F. Kennedy was endorsed by former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi but finished third with roughly 11% of the vote, unable to convert his celebrity into a top-two finish. 

The race was the second most expensive House primary on record, according to the nonpartisan database AdImpact, with A.I. interest groups pouring roughly $20 million into the contest. Leading the Future, a group backed by pro-AI venture capitalists, spent more than $8 million against Mr. Bores, whose campaign had been defined by his push for artificial intelligence regulation in the New York Assembly. 

Mr. Lasher is expected to be heavily favored in November’s general election in the deep-blue Manhattan district, which covers neighborhoods including the Upper East and Upper West sides, Midtown and Chelsea.