Jack Schlossberg loses Manhattan Democratic primary as Micah Lasher wins

Micah Lasher defeated Jack Schlossberg in Manhattan’s Democratic primary for New York’s 12th Congressional District, putting him in position to take the seat long held by Jerrold Nadler. With 94.21 percent of scanners reporting, Lasher led with 39.04 percent, followed by Assembly Member Alex Bores at 35.01 percent, Schlossberg at 10.79 percent, public health researcher Nina Schwalbe at 7.09 percent and lawyer George Conway at 6.09 percent.

The result closed the race for an open House seat that spans the Upper East Side, the Upper West Side and parts of Midtown Manhattan. Nadler announced on Sept. 2, 2025, that he would not seek re-election after more than 32 years in Congress and 17 terms representing the district. In a place this heavily Democratic, the primary carried the weight of the general election, and Lasher emerged as the clear favorite to win in November.

Schlossberg’s campaign never found steady footing. He entered a crowded field that also included Bores, Conway, Schwalbe and four other Democratic candidates listed by Ballotpedia, but his challenge was not only name recognition. His bid was hurt by staff defections, canceled or missed meetings and an erratic schedule that fed doubts about whether the Kennedy heir was ready for the discipline of a local congressional campaign.

The race drew extraordinary attention and money. CBS News reported that $26 million was spent on ads in the contest, placing New York’s 12th District among the most expensive congressional primaries in the country. Bloomberg also spent heavily in support of the race, adding to the flood of advertising around a district where every voter contact, message and ground operation mattered.

Lasher’s win also underscored the limits of political inheritance in Manhattan. Schlossberg is the grandson of President John F. Kennedy, but the Kennedy name did not offset Lasher’s advantages in organization, message discipline and candidate performance. Nadler’s endorsement further strengthened Lasher’s standing as the establishment choice in the primary, and the final count showed that pedigree alone was not enough to overcome a race shaped by local mechanics and a tightly managed field.