Leading the Future Pulls Back After $8 Million Anti-Bores Push Fails in New York
Updated
Updated · POLITICO · Jun 25
Leading the Future Pulls Back After $8 Million Anti-Bores Push Fails in New York
3 articles · Updated · POLITICO · Jun 25
Summary
Leading the Future is unlikely to mount another Bores-style negative ad blitz this year after spending $8 million against Alex Bores, whose loss in New York was followed by a muted response from the pro-AI PAC.
Bores still finished a close second, just 4 percentage points behind Micah Lasher, and the winner also supports AI regulation and a data-center moratorium, undercutting the PAC’s effort to warn off regulation-minded candidates.
The race became a costly proxy war inside the AI industry: Anthropic-linked groups spent about $12 million for Bores, while Michael Bloomberg added $10 million to boost Lasher in the five-way primary.
Regulation advocates say the outcome showed anti-industry messaging can attract money and attention, and they argue the backlash has made Leading the Future less willing to intervene aggressively in other 2026 contests.