Alex Bores Becomes AI Regulation Leader After Primary Loss

A New York state legislator who lost his congressional primary under heavy fire from AI industry donors has emerged as an influential voice shaping artificial intelligence policy across the United States.

Alex Bores, a Democratic assemblymember from Manhattan, authored New York's RAISE Act — a law imposing safety and transparency requirements on major AI developers. That legislation drew fierce opposition from Silicon Valley, with the super PAC Leading the Future spending $8 million to defeat him in June's House primary. Bores lost by four points to fellow assemblymember Micah Lasher, who also supports stricter AI rules.

Yet the effort to sideline Bores appears to have backfired. At the National Conference of State Legislatures summit in Chicago last month, hundreds of state lawmakers sought him out for guidance on crafting their own AI regulations. Multiple legislators and advocacy groups told POLITICO that Bores has become a model for taking on the tech sector.

Why it matters

As Congress remains deadlocked on AI legislation and federal policy swings between administrations, states are stepping in to fill the regulatory void. Bores' experience — both his successful passage of the RAISE Act and his ability to withstand industry pressure — offers a playbook for legislators in California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Utah, Maryland, and beyond who are drafting their own AI safety bills. His continued influence demonstrates that industry spending can elevate rather than eliminate regulatory advocates.

From target to template

The RAISE Act, signed by New York Governor Kathy Hochul late last year, has informed similar regulatory efforts in multiple states. OpenAI now urges state legislators to align new safety rules with the New York law. Maryland state senator Katie Fry Hester said she is studying a provision in RAISE that funds enforcement through fees on the largest AI developers.

Utah Republican state representative Doug Fiefia, who recently defeated a Leading the Future-backed incumbent in a primary, drew explicit parallels between his situation and Bores'. California assemblymember Jacqui Irwin, whose AI transparency bill is being challenged in court by Elon Musk's xAI, exchanged contact information with Bores in Chicago to discuss strategy.

Adam Billen, co-executive director of the pro-regulation group Encode AI, said one legislator told him at the summit: "I want to be the next Alex Bores."

Industry split on display

The primary fight exposed deep divisions within the AI sector. While Leading the Future — backed by OpenAI president Greg Brockman and venture capitalist Marc Andreessen — spent $8 million against Bores, the super PAC Public First Action spent $12 million supporting him. Public First has close ties to Anthropic, an AI company that backs tougher regulations and competes directly with OpenAI.

Leading the Future officials claim they targeted Bores because of his connections to Anthropic, which they accuse of attempting to capture regulators. Bores dismisses this as conspiracy thinking, noting that Leading the Future identified him as a top target before the groups supporting him even existed.

Bores' Assembly term ends January 1, 2027. He declined to detail his future plans but indicated he will remain active in AI safety advocacy. "I want to continue to play the role in organizing around that, and making sure that it's actually Americans' voices that are heard in dictating how this goes forward," he said.

These details were first reported by POLITICO.