The $27M AI Proxy War: Anthropic vs. OpenAI in the NY-12 Primary

The high-stakes political battle between AI giants Anthropic and OpenAI has reached a stalemate in New York’s 12th Congressional district. What began as a local Democratic primary quickly escalated into a $27 million proxy war, signaling a new era where tech regulation is fought on the campaign trail.

The Battle Over the RAISE Act

At the center of this expensive conflict was Alex Bores, a former tech industry employee and New York State Assemblyman. Bores became a primary target for deregulation advocates due to his legislative track record, specifically his authorship of the high-profile RAISE Act. This legislation successfully implemented stringent guardrails and safety requirements for frontier AI companies, a version of which was signed into state law last year.

For the industry's deregulatory wing, Bores represented a blueprint for restrictive governance that could stifle innovation. For the safety-first proponents, he was a vital defender of much-needed oversight. This ideological divide transformed a single congressional seat into a critical bellwether for the future of artificial intelligence policy in the United States.

A Massive Financial Disparity

According to FEC filings, the total expenditure for this single primary race reached a staggering $27.41 million. The spending was split between two opposing ideological camps:

  • The Pro-Bores/Regulatory Camp: A coalition of super PACs, including Jobs and Democracy PAC, Dream NYC, You Can Push Back, and the Guardrails Alliance, poured $19.26 million into the race to defend Bores’s legislative legacy. These groups are widely connected to Anthropic’s regulatory philosophy.
  • The Deregulatory Camp: The "Leading the Future" super PAC, which is backed by OpenAI, Palantir, and executives from Andreessen Horowitz, spent $8.15 million to oppose Bores and promote a more hands-off approach to AI oversight.

While the pro-Bores groups outspent their opponents, they were unable to secure a victory, highlighting the difficulty of translating massive tech spending into direct electoral wins.

Results and the Broader AI Landscape

In the end, the race resulted in a narrow defeat for Bores. He secured 35% of the vote, losing to Assemblyman Micah Lasher, who garnered 39.1%. While Bores failed to win the seat, the massive influx of capital from OpenAI and Anthropic-aligned groups proves that AI regulation is no longer just a matter of technical debate—it is a central pillar of political campaigning.

This election serves as a warning to both developers and policymakers. As frontier models become more powerful, the companies building them are increasingly willing to engage in massive, direct political spending to shape the legislative environment. The NY-12 primary confirms that the battle over AI guardrails has moved from the halls of academia and tech labs directly into the heart of the American political system.

Key Takeaways

  • Regulatory Standoff: The $27.41 million spending war reflected a fundamental split between OpenAI’s deregulatory interests and Anthropic’s focus on AI safety guardrails.
  • Legislative Impact: The conflict was driven by Alex Bores’s authorship of the RAISE Act, a model for implementing safety requirements on frontier AI companies.
  • New Political Reality: This election marks a significant shift where AI-centric super PACs are now deploying tens of millions of dollars to influence local and national AI policy.