AI Industry Mobilizes to Defeat Alex Bores

A super political action committee called Leading the Future, backed by AI investors and executives, is spending heavily to defeat New York State Assemblymember Alex Bores in his upcoming primary election. Bores authored the AI Regulatory, Ethics, and Accountability Act, which would impose transparency, risk assessment, and bias testing requirements on AI systems deployed in New York. The law is considered one of the strongest state-level AI regulations in the United States.

Leading the Future, registered with the Federal Election Commission on February 28, is raising money to support a primary challenger to Bores. As of filing deadlines, the PAC had raised $620,000, with contributions from venture firms and executives whose portfolios include multiple AI companies. Bores, first elected in 2022, holds a degree in AI from MIT and worked as a software engineer before entering politics.

The super PAC has argued that the assemblymember's legislation would hamstring innovation in New York, the state with the highest concentration of AI startups outside California. Primary challenger Maria Valdes faces Bores in the June 24 Democratic primary. Bores's campaign spokesperson stated they are 'focused on the work of legislating, not fighting outside spending,' and has framed the race as a fight between corporate cash and community representation. The outcome may influence whether other states pursue similarly comprehensive AI laws.