Micah Lasher holds a leading edge in the June 23 Democratic primary for New York’s 12th Congressional District, an open seat after longtime incumbent Jerry Nadler’s retirement, thanks to the retiring representative’s February endorsement and Lasher’s record as a state assemblyman focused on housing and consumer issues. Recent Emerson polling from mid-May showed Lasher narrowly ahead of Alex Bores at 22 percent to 20 percent among likely primary voters, with Jack Schlossberg and George Conway further back amid a large undecided share. Bores, another assembly member emphasizing AI safety legislation, has drawn strong fundraising and union support but trails in trader assessments of ground-game momentum. The contest remains fluid with multiple forums and targeted ads in the final weeks shaping the outcome among Manhattan’s dense Democratic electorate.