Two opposing factions in the artificial intelligence industry are squaring off in a Democratic primary for a U.S. House seat in New York, while Mayor Zohran Mamdani tests his political clout by backing fellow democratic socialists in key races across the city.
Those are among the races to watch on Tuesday as voters head to the polls for primaries in Maryland, New York, South Carolina, and Utah.
AI Industry Proxy Battle
The crowded Democratic primary in Manhattan has become a proxy battle between two powerful camps of the AI industry because of one candidate: New York Assemblyman Alex Bores. Bores, a former Palantir employee, pushed one of the more sweeping state-level AI regulation bills in the country. When he stepped into the race for the congressional district being vacated by retiring Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler, a political group underwritten by investors in OpenAI spent more than $7 million on ads against him.
Then an opposing wing of the industry, one more in favor of regulation, rode to Bores’ aid. Political groups partly funded by Anthropic, which makes the chatbot Claude, spent more than $10 million to boost Bores’ candidacy. The election will offer some measure of the political might of the two AI industry factions.
Mamdani’s Endorsements
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani endorsed Democratic primary candidates from his own political camp — a progressive and two democratic socialists — who are challenging more established candidates, some backed by party leadership.
U.S. Rep. Dan Goldman is up against Mamdani-backed challenger Brad Lander, the former comptroller. A central contention between the two Jewish candidates is the war in Gaza, with Lander assailing Goldman for not being critical enough of Israel.
In upper Manhattan, Democratic U.S. Rep. Adriano Espaillat is facing off against Mamdani-endorsed Darializa Avila Chevalier, a 32-year-old democratic socialist who hasn’t held public office before. For the seat covering parts of Brooklyn and Queens, Mamdani endorsed Assemblymember Claire Valdez, another self-described democratic socialist.
The three primaries will help distinguish not just Mamdani’s political clout, but the continued viability of democratic socialist platforms in New York City.
Trump’s South Carolina Hedge
President Donald Trump, after two of his chosen candidates for governor lost Republican primaries this month, ensured it wouldn’t happen again in South Carolina: he endorsed both candidates on the same ballot. Trump initially supported Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette in May, but on Friday, he added an endorsement for her opponent, state Attorney General Alan Wilson.
“I can’t hurt one of them by only endorsing the other,” Trump wrote on social media, “so therefore, I am going to endorse, for Governor of South Carolina, both Pam Evette and Alan Wilson!”
Other Races to Watch
In Utah, redistricting has created a lone Democratic island centered on Salt Lake City, where primary candidates are jostling over who is farther to the left. In Maryland, Republicans are seeking an heir to former Gov. Larry Hogan in a bid to retake the governorship from Democratic Gov. Wes Moore.
The Bottom Line
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and opposing AI industry factions are testing their political power in Tuesday’s primaries. In Manhattan, a Democratic primary has become a proxy battle between AI camps, with more than $17 million in spending. Mamdani has endorsed progressive and democratic socialist challengers in three New York congressional races. President Trump, after two gubernatorial endorsements failed, endorsed both candidates in South Carolina’s Republican runoff.
