Key facts
- New York congressional candidates are making final appeals before Tuesday's primary elections.
- The New York primary features progressive challenges to incumbents like Dan Goldman and Adriano Espaillat.
- A Manhattan House primary is a proxy battle between two AI industry factions, with significant ad spending from groups backed by OpenAI investors and Anthropic.
- New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is endorsing progressive candidates in several key races.
- President Donald Trump endorsed both candidates in a South Carolina gubernatorial runoff.
- Redistricting has created a competitive Democratic primary in Utah.
New York congressional candidates are making their final campaign appeals on Monday ahead of Tuesday's primary elections, which feature progressive challenges to incumbents and significant political maneuvering within the artificial intelligence industry.
A crowded Democratic primary in Manhattan for the seat vacated by Rep. Jerry Nadler has become a proxy battle between two factions of the AI industry. Political groups funded by investors in OpenAI spent over $7 million on ads against Assemblyman Alex Bores, who has pushed for sweeping state-level AI regulation. In response, groups funded by Anthropic, a company co-founded by a former OpenAI employee concerned about AI safety, spent more than $10 million to boost Bores' candidacy.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is also testing his political influence by endorsing progressive candidates challenging more established Democrats. Among these races, Mamdani-backed challenger Brad Lander is running against U.S. Rep. Dan Goldman, with the war in Gaza being a central point of contention. In upper Manhattan, Mamdani-endorsed Darializa Avila Chevalier is challenging U.S. Rep. Adriano Espaillat. Additionally, Mamdani has endorsed Assemblymember Claire Valdez for the open seat in Brooklyn and Queens, where Rep. Nydia Velázquez is retiring.
In South Carolina, President Donald Trump, after recent losses in gubernatorial primaries, has endorsed both candidates in a runoff election for governor, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and state Attorney General Alan Wilson, to ensure a win for his endorsement.
Meanwhile, redistricting has created an unusual Democratic battleground in Utah, with candidates vying for the progressive vote in a district centered on Salt Lake City. Former U.S. representative Ben McAdams is among those competing in this race.