Key facts
- Micah Lasher won the Democratic primary for Jerrold Nadler's House seat.
- Adrian Boafo, endorsed by Steny Hoyer, won the Democratic primary for Hoyer's House seat.
- Both Lasher and Boafo are former aides to the retiring congressmen they aim to replace.
- The trend of retiring lawmakers endorsing former staffers to succeed them is increasing.
- Outside spending from AI industry players was noted in the primary race, particularly supporting Alex Bores.
Micah Lasher has won the Democratic primary for the House seat held by Rep. Jerrold Nadler, who is retiring. This victory is part of a broader trend where retiring lawmakers are successfully anointing former aides as their successors. In Maryland, Adrian Boafo, a former campaign manager for Rep. Steny Hoyer, also won his Democratic primary with Hoyer's endorsement.
Both Nadler and Hoyer, long-serving Democrats, decided not to seek reelection this year. Their former aides, Lasher and Boafo respectively, are now expected to win in their overwhelmingly Democratic districts in November. This practice of lawmakers endorsing their former staffers is becoming increasingly common, with at least five such instances among the 68 members of Congress not seeking reelection this year.
While such endorsements can be controversial, especially when timed strategically to benefit insiders, they often resonate with voters who trust their own representative's recommendation. However, this can also backfire in an environment where voters are critical of Congress. Examples of lawmakers facilitating the succession of their former staff include Rep. Jesus "Chuy" Garcia, who faced a reprimand for a maneuver that cleared the path for his chief of staff, and Republican Sen. Steve Daines, who coordinated a similar move with a former U.S. Attorney.
Other lawmakers, like Danny Davis, Julia Brownley, Ralph Norman, and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, have also made endorsements or supported preferred successors, with varying degrees of success in clearing the field for their chosen candidates. The primary race in Nadler's district also saw significant outside spending from AI industry players, particularly in support of candidate Alex Bores.