By Gus Saltonstall
The race to succeed Rep. Jerrold Nadler in New York’s 12th Congressional District is the hottest club in town.
In the little over four months since Nadler announced he would not be running for an 18th term, more than a dozen candidates have announced their bid to represent the district that stretches the width of Manhattan from the top of Central Park to Union Square.
On Tuesday, George Conway, a former Republican and political pundit who is a vocal critic of President Donald Trump, officially announced he is also running for the seat. To do so, he moved from the Washington D.C. suburbs to Manhattan and registered as a Democrat.
In total, the candidate field currently consists of 10 Democrats, four Republicans, and four Independents.
Candidates who have already announced for the NY-12 race include elected officials from the Upper West Side and Upper East Side, John F. Kennedy’s grandson, a survivor of the Parkland School shooting, longtime veterans of the financial and journalism fields, a civil rights lawyer, and an LGBTQ activist.
Since candidates first began announcing their bids for the race in July, multiple challengers have actually already dropped out. Most notably, Upper West Side native Liam Elkind, who announced his bid for the race before Nadler declared he would not be seeking reelection, and lower Manhattan City Councilmember Erik Bottcher, who announced last month that he would instead run for the state senate seat that Brad Hoylman-Sigal vacated after he won the Manhattan borough president contest.
So, who are the Democratic candidates? We will cover the Republican and Independent candidates at a later date.
Let’s start with the Upper West Side representative.
Micah Lasher
Lasher has been the State Assemblymember for District 69, which includes the Upper West Side and Morningside Heights, since 2024. Prior to that, he was policy director for Governor Kathy Hochul, chair of the Riverside Park Conservancy board, chief of staff for New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, and worked within Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s administration.
Lasher has landed endorsements already from many Manhattan elected officials, including a slew with ties to the Upper West Side, including Gale Brewer, Shaun Abreu, Linda Rosenthal, Brad Hoylman-Sigal, Mark Levine, and Scott Stringer.
As reported by multiple publications, including City & State, Nadler is expected to endorse Lasher as his successor.
You can check out his campaign website — HERE.
Alex Bores
If we start with the Upper West Side, it is only right we next move to the Upper East Side.
Bores has been the State Assemblymember for the Upper East Side’s 73rd District since 2023 and worked as a software engineer prior to that. He has landed endorsements in the congressional race from nine of his Assembly colleagues, and also former Rep. Steve Israel.
You can check out his campaign website — HERE.
George Conway
Conway is the latest candidate to announce his bid for NY-12. He is a lawyer who has never held political office but was considered for appointment by President Trump for two positions in his first administration, before Conway withdrew his name.
He then became a vocal critic of the president and was heavily involved with the Lincoln Project, which is a group of former Republicans opposed to Trump.
You can watch his candidate announcement video — HERE.
Laura Dunn
Dunn is a civil rights attorney who has worked to address issues surrounding sexual assault in the military and human trafficking.
She lists her campaign’s main goals as “renewing government integrity” through the imposition of congressional term limits and ending insider trading, fighting to stop the roll back of civil rights and liberties, and tackling the affordability crisis.
You can find out more on her website — HERE.
Jack Schlossberg
Schlossberg, who is the only grandson of former President John F. Kennedy, and the son of Caroline Kennedy, announced in November that he would be running for NY-12 as his first venture into holding political office. He has worked primarily as a writer, including as Vogue’s political correspondent since 2024.
His “12 promises to the people of New York’s 12th District” are: service, courage, strength, accountability, optimism, independence, focus, pragmatism, unity, patriotism, creativity, and positivity. You can read more about each of these on his campaign website — HERE.
Jami Floyd
Floyd is a longtime journalist who has worked as the host of NPR’s “All Things Considered” on WNYC and held positions at ABC and MSNBC. She also worked within the Clinton administration.
But, most importantly to West Side Rag, she is a member of the Upper West Side’s Community Board 7.
Floyd has a far ranging platform that includes a focus on bringing down costs, building more housing, senior safeguards, and help for small business.
You can find out more on her campaign website — HERE.
Cameron Kasky
Kasky is a survivor of the Parkland, Florida, school shooting in 2018 and subsequently co-founded the gun control group March for Our Lives. At 25, if elected, he would be the youngest member of Congress.
He lists 12 main policy priorities on his website: Stop Funding Genocide, Medicare for All, Abolish ICE, Gun Violence Prevention, Fight the AI Oligarchs, Affordability/Economy, Combat Hate Crimes, Protect Reproductive Rights, Free Public College + Student Debt Relief, Dismantle the Prison Industrial Complex, Supporting Ukraine, and Climate Change.
You can find out more about Kasky on his campaign website — HERE.
Matthew Shurka
Shurka is an LGBTQ activist and a first-time candidate for elected office. He co-founded the group Born Perfect, which has worked to help pass legislation across the country to protect young people.
He lists affordability, improving infrastructure, and confronting President Trump among his main platform focuses.
You can find out more about his campaign — HERE.
Alan Pardee
Pardee is a former managing director at Merrill Lynch and grew up in the congressional district. He has never held political office.
Pardee says he is running for Congress to help with the affordability and food insecurity crises and to push back against the “threats posed by Donald Trump.”
You can find out more about his campaign — HERE.
Micah Bergdale
Bergdale is an entrepreneur who started his career at Apple and has never run for political office.
He lists some of his top issues as completing the Second Avenue subway, early learning, a path to peace in Israel and Palestine, and lowering housing costs.
You can check out more about his campaign — HERE.
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Micah is such a dedicated, kind, thoughtful, and effective public servant! We’d be so lucky to have him as our next Congress Member!
Let’s go UWS!
Laura Dunn is such an amazing woman! I see her all the time on the UWS and have spoken to her many times and is someone who would represent the UWS amazingly!
Very sweet of you to post – I’m at the farmer’s market every Sunday and often in Central Park for morning off leash hours with my dog Ruthie – folks are welcome to say hello to us anytime. Looking forward to meeting more folks on the UWS having lived there for four years
Cameron Kasky’s X account has virulently anti-Israel posts that go way beyond rational criticism of the Gaza war.
NYC already has a mayor who hates Israel. We don’t need a Congressman who also hates Israel.
Murray,
Cite examples.
Please stop spreading misinformation. Mayor Mamdani does NOT “hate” Israel. He has consistently supported its right to exist – though he fervently wishes (and so many of us do) that they treated ALL their citizens equally. He also understand the difference between REAL anti-Semitism (“hostility or prejudice against the Jewish people or Judaism”) and the right to criticize a country, its leaders and its policies. He is also smart – and brave – enough to know that the response to “bad” speech (or assembly) is NOT to further limit or restrict it. “The answer to “bad” or hateful speech is not LESS speech, but MORE speech.” (I will let you find out who said that.)
Mr. Mamdani has “issues” with Israel – just as a huge number of people do (including many Jews). But that does not equate to “hatred” – except in the minds of those who, like you, CANNOT separate Jews and Judaism on the one hand from the country of Israel, its leaders and its policies on the other.
Ian, take your blinders off. Israel either exists as a Jewish state where other religions and ethnicities have full rights (as it is now), or a non-Jewish state, where Jews and other religions will no longer exist at all.
Please give me one another country that my new mayor wants to boycott, divest, and sanction. Just one other country besides the Jewish state. And I’m a little tired of the angels dancing on the head of a pin arguments you guys make. If you think Israel needs to be eradicated. And what that would mean for the Jews there. Hamas proved that full well on 10/7. Well, doesn’t make you man of the year at Bnai Brith
Ian, I wish every country treated all of their citizens equally.
You may be surprised to learn that no countries actually do.
And Mamdani is on the record as stating that he is opposed to Israel being a Jewish state (even though there is freedom of religion there). He has not expressed similar opposition to any Muslim state, including those that prohibit and even punish people who aren’t Muslim.
So, you think it’s okay for Muslims living (as citizens) in Israel to have fewer rights before the law?
What rights do Muslims not have that Jews have?
Are you ok that Jews and Christians don’t have the same rights as Muslims in most Muslim countries?
So you are okay with Islamophobia? There are Muslims who do the right thing in the west and you want to hold the actions of extremists and white saviors in the west against them? I think Israel has a right to exist as a Jewish majority state, but you have to show respect to people otherwise this conflict will never be solved. Right now there are people who think here in liberal UWS that Muslims aren’t worthy of dignity. The reality is that there is no difference between Gale Brewer and eastern Queens councilwoman Vickie Paladino, at least she says Islamophobic stuff to my face while I get the impression Gale feels the same way but is afraid to say it.
You really must tell me how you interpreted my post to think that I am “okay with Islamophobia”.
It’s also interesting that Jay asked “So, you think it’s okay for Muslims living (as citizens) in Israel to have fewer rights before the law?”.
In no way was either sentiment expressed.
Please, read what people write and don’t interpret in creative ways to make them fit your assumptions.
You question reverses my meaning entirely. But I’ll answer what I suppose to be your question:
In Israel, Arabs (who are not Jews) have fewer rights than Jewish citizens — specifically they can’t own land in certain areas.
As for Muslim countries; that’s not the subject here. But pointing out a second wrong in an autocratic theocracy like Israel’s ally (irony) Saudi Arabia doesn’t make what Israel is doing right.
It is untrue that non-Jewish Arabs are legally prohibited from owning land where Jews may.
There are unfair barriers that exist in the way that here in the US it can be harder for non-whites to own property in certain places. But those are issues of discrimination and not legal barriers.
Non-Jewish Arab citizens of Israel can own land, but there are restrictions on where they can own land.
They are not prohibited from owning any/all land where Jews can own land; they are legally prohibited from owning some lands that Jews can own.
You misread my comment on purpose.
This is NOT the same as lenders redlining neighborhoods in the USA.
I misread nothing and continue to respond directly to your claims.
If there is a law that forbids Muslims from owning land that is available to Jews, then please specify it.
You have made a claim and the onus is on you to support it.
I wonder if many can separate Jews/Judaism from Israel, esp. its govt., but conflate them in their rhetoric in order to try to get attack points against figures they dislike on other grounds.
Thank you for your coverage – greatly appreciated.
That being said, please be carefully to be completely unbiased and systematic in your profiling of candidates. Why did Lasher get listed first? Because he lives on the UWS? I have nothing significant against him but he should not get any preference – being listed first is preferential. One article should be alphabetical. Then the next should be reverse alphabetical. Something like that.
This election is going to be a disaster. I don’t think there is ranked choice but this is the exact situation it was made for.
That is actually both silly and illogical. SOMEONE is going to be first – even if listed alphabetically. In fact, in that case, the question could be asked: why should the person whose name comes first in the alphabet be first on the list? That is no less “preferential” than a random listing. and if this is the only article they publish on the candidates (even though it is unlikely to be), then a random listing is just as fair as an alphabetical listing.
I think we have MUCH more significant issues to consider than who gets listed where in an article like this.
Did you read what I said? WSR is great – they will be doing plenty of articles about this race. So I said they should be sure to randomize who is first. Your guy Lasher was first this time. So he should not be first next time. Only fair. I said that if they choose to do it alphabetically (which is logically) then the next time do reverse so that it is fair.
You post here constantly. You know very well this is not the only article they will post. Talk about being “silly and illogical”. And talk about having better things to post about.
Typical UWSer trying to be so clever in being contrarian and in the process advertising how little they know.
Great point, Carlos. Even the New York Times coverage goes by name and not by preference – thanks for sticking up for fair and even handed media coverage so folks can know who is running and decide for themselves
The Chosen One, Roi Soleil, Heir Apparent, Gale-Endorsed-Me deserves to be ranked first, no?
They should really rank them by wokeness. Woke, woker, wokerer, wokest, adores Hamas to seem wokerestest. Also by whose platform mentions “climate justice” most often. Or by the kinds of math problems they find the most racist.
I will vote for the one that actually wants to do some work and not be the impeach DT candidate.
All I care is that there is a candidate that is down to earth and engaging and someone I would have coffee or a beer with!
I don’t think this is the criteria to elect your representatives. You must be lonely.
It helps a great deal.
I’d rather vote for someone who is competent and sane. I don’t need to vote for a friend.
Maybe Denis Butler was being ironical. They said that Dubya was someone you’d want to have a beer with, while Gore was a scold trotting fuzzy math.
Perhaps. I have no idea.
There are plenty of lonely people out there and lots of people are low-information. Just read the comments here.
People often say things like “So and so is a really nice person and is really friendly and really cares about the UWS. I’m voting for them”.
I don’t know who yet but no carpetbaggers trying to take advantage of our current political system. Be from here or get out.
Agreed. I have lived in NYC for over 2 decades and my businesses have been in the Midtown to Columbus Circle areas throughout that time. While I have spent a lot of my adult life in the South Bronx, NYC is my home and I am here to fight for it.
Jack ! Why? because the media will be obsessed with him; which gives him leverage to get things done for us and the Democrats ! ( Plus he is smart, believes in public service even for those with money, and knows politics! )
“His “12 promises to the people of New York’s 12th District” are: service, courage, strength, accountability, optimism, independence, focus, pragmatism, unity, patriotism, creativity, and positivity”
– anyone is buying these promises?
Obscure promises that are really just empty slogans and cannot be measured quantitatively.
Just what he wants…not to be accountable to the inevitable backsliding of NYC.
Boy Scout wannabe, with an empty resume of nouns.
What happened to the guy who started it all … Liam Elkind?!
https://www.westsiderag.com/2025/09/04/in-the-wake-of-jerry-nadlers-retirement-a-conversation-with-the-current-lone-candidate-in-the-race
He dropped out in 2025 and is going to law school instead
As to Conway…just say no to Converts!
Why?
Thank you, WSR for this information, all in one place, with clear descriptions of the candidates. Much appreciated.
Please vote for someone tough on crime and will clean up the UWS and make streets cleaner and safer.
“NYC had record-low shootings, 20% drop in homicides in 2025, Mamdani and Tisch say” (https://gothamist.com/news/nyc-had-record-low-shootings-20-drop-in-homicides-in-2025-mamdani-and-tisch-say)
Next?
Stabbings, fatal and otherwise, seem to have increased. Where would I find stats on those?
Great question, Observer. Alas, I have been unable to find a satisfactory reference. Most of the on-line information on city stabbings/slashings I encountered relates to either prisons or the subway, whereas I presume your interest is focused on street crime. Still, you might find the following sources of some interest nonetheless:
• https://www.vitalcitynyc.org/dataviz/monthly-stabbings-and-slashings-january-2024 (This would be perfect if only it were more recent!)
• https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/2025-trends-crime-and-safety-new-york-city
• https://www.vitalcitynyc.org/articles/the-state-of-crime-in-new-york-city-at-midyear-2025
Can you cite where you get your dirty and unsafe references from? I’ve been walking around for decades and have been outside walking nearly every block in the neighborhood over the past few weeks and it looks the same as it ever did. Is there an invisible crime wave we should be aware of?
That’s not really what congress does, would be more the Governor / Mayor responsibility so we are in good hands already.
Good use of sarcasm.
We need someone Young and very social media-savvy, with the energy to deal with the insanity going on in Washington.
The only one who is up to the task is JACK Schlossberg, he is brilliant and knows how to fight back the MAGA insanity.
So being young is a criterion? Is there a certain race or ethnicity that we should favor?
Although not exactly young (or Young), Conway knows a thing or two about MAGA insanity and how to fight it — from first-hand experience. Just sayin’.
There is no familial relationship between John F. Kennedy’s grandson and any survivor of the Parkland school shooting. The connection the user is likely referring to is that JFK’s only grandson, Jack Schlossberg, and Parkland survivor Cameron Kasky are both running for the same congressional seat in New York.
Not one candidate mentions retail theft or crime.
This is not going to end well…..
It’s congress not a local office.
This is a race for a position in Congress. Not the City Council, not the State Legislature.
Congress
Has Pizza Rat announced his campaign yet?
I strongly reject the notion he’s qualified for a third term (or was for a first).
The Kennedy-spawn / nepo-baby is so completely nuts and unqualified that I expect him to get the most votes from Upper West Siders and win!
Points for novelty, but then recall how few UWS votes Sliwa received in the mayor’s race, so don’t bet too much money on this outcome.
Can any of the candidates be more specific about what they plan to focus on besides ‘fighting Trump’? I’m more interested in reducing crime, improving quality of life, and strengthening public schools.
I’m tired of empty rhetoric.
I probably have some of the most comprehensive policy positions of any candidate that is not just empty rhetoric. Bills I plan to introduce. Ideas I want to see happen in Congress. Will I fight Trump? Yes. But I will also fight the political establishment to actually get things done.
Thank you for your response. Can you please list these details here?
https://www.bergdaleforcongress.com/issues
The best I can do is direct you to the Issues section of our website, which we update often. I try to be thoughtful and thorough in the issues I am highligting.
I strongly agree with your priorities and that more specifics would be helpful. However, keep in mind that this is a federal government position and some of the specifics you listed aren’t really their focus. But I do agree that more details on relevant specific issues would be very helpful.
Agreed but it is still influenced by all of our electeds.
I have been listing out very detailed policy positions on our website. I am trying to be the most specific of any candidate.
The “Just say no to converts” is the only comment I’ve read with which I quibble. A person who is smart, insider knowledgeable, at least moderately wealthy who has clearly demonstrated a commitment to democracy and country over party, social and I imagine financial connections is a rare person and worthy of being taken very seriously. So to me, Conway both stands out and is extraordinary. I’m pleased he is running. Well done George and however this turns out for you, you have my upmost respect.
Having lived and voted on the UWS for over 50 years, I am familiar with most of these candidates. And there is no question in my mind, given the current political zeitgeist, and the move to having at least somewhat younger people replace the “old guard,” that Micah Lasher is the right person for the job at the right time – not just age-wise, but politically as well. He has been around in UWS (and Manhattan and NYS) politics longer than any of the other candidates. And Mr. Nadler has not simply been a sort of “hero” to him, but also an unofficial mentor.
As an aside – and it is the kind of thing one hopes does not NEED to be said, but does in these particular times – Mr. Lasher has never been associated with any scandals (personal or political) or questionable people or situations. He may be among the most squeaky clean politicians in NYC, or maybe anywhere.
I believe that all of the districts’ constituents – and the country in general – would be extremely well-served by having Mr. Lasher in office. He has my vote, and I hope others will look at his record and decide that he is worthy of their vote as well.
Micah Lasher is the definition of the political class that has given New Yorkers a lot of grief over the years.
I love that Laura Dunn actually took the time to reply to the comments here and engage with us!
That is quite a collection.
I want the Rent is Too Damn High guy. Oh wait, he endorsed Trump …
I guess he decided the rent wasn’t high enough.
It would be a great service if you could design a spectrum of these candidates from left to right, so voters can situate them in their minds. As is, the tweedle-dum, tweede-dee positions make them hard to distinguish, much less to make an intelligent choice.
This is the attitude that got us into where we are right now.
Perhaps in a democracy we can learn about candidates, consider nuances (if there are any), and reach our own conclusion.
Hasn’t it hit anyone yet that NYC is doomed? With the Mayoral appointees, – who deleted their Twitter accounts stating that white people should not own property and they should get used to not having property – do you really think this city is going to make it? Jewish people, are you feeling safe now that on day 1 the mayor reversed protections? And now the candidates here, most only care about “fighting Trump”. Nothing is being done to get this city sane again. And spare me the statistics. This city lost it’s charm and only a few candidates want to fix anything.
“the candidates here, most only care about ‘fighting Trump’.”
How very shortsighted and/or misguided of them!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Salvo
Agree.
In a race as crowded as this, someone should draft our favorite doorman Garry Johnson at the Chesterfield at 186 West 80 Street to run for Congress! A working class hero is what the UWS needs!
No Kennedy relatives, nor any “former” Republicans, PLEASE!!
So glad George Conroy is running. Very smart attorney who has taken Trump to the wood pile with laser focus.
Their platforms are so focused on opposing President Trump, wonder what will they do after 2028. But I have to admit, it’s fun to watch TDS on full display!
There’s enormous entertainment potential in observing from the sidelines as others struggle tirelessly to avert the national and global catastrophe we ourselves not-so-secretly endorse, isn’t there, S G?
What do the congressional candidates think about the situation in Iran? Who will support the needed changes in Iran?