Bloomberg Plans to Dump Major Money in Key NYC House Race

Michael Bloomberg is poised to put serious money behind a former aide in one of New York's hottest House primaries. The former mayor plans to steer roughly $5 million into a new super PAC backing Assemblyman Micah Lasher in the race to replace retiring Rep. Jerry Nadler in a deep-blue, donor-rich Manhattan district, people familiar with the plans tell the New York Times. "At a moment like this, New Yorkers need representatives with the imagination to offer bold new ideas, the experience to get big things done, and the courage to take on the toughest fights," Bloomberg posted Thursday on X. Despite the endorsement, he stayed mum on the expected ad blitz, which would hit mailboxes and airwaves within days and run through Stand for New York PAC. Nadler is also backing Lasher as his replacement.

The move scrambles an already high-profile field that includes Jack Schlossberg, the Nancy Pelosi-backed grandson of JFK; Trump critic George Conway; Assemblyman Alex Bores; public health expert Nina Schwalbe; and civil rights lawyer Laura Dunn. Polls show no clear frontrunner, with Schlossberg and Conway better known than Lasher. The race has already drawn heavy super PAC spending tied to artificial intelligence interests, largely focused on Bores, a pro-regulation voice. Lasher, who has criticized big-money politics, now argues that Bloomberg—popular in the district and a former boss—is countering Silicon Valley's influence, while Schlossberg has cast the billionaire's support as an attempt to "buy" the seat. Lasher's campaign had $1.1 million on hand at the end of 2025, notes the Hill.