ByJOSEPH STRAUSS/JTA

JUNE 18, 2026 05:53

Alex Bores is navigating a complex path as he campaigns to replace Rep. Jerry Nadler in Congress.

The two-term New York State Assembly member from the Upper East Side has attracted backing from Jewish leaders and political moderates who highlight his support for Israel. He participates each year in the city Israel Day Parade and has pushed back against demands that Democratic candidates favor limits on military assistance to Israel.

At the same time, several left-leaning organizations and activists who advocate exactly those limits are also endorsing him.

Such divergent groups rarely align behind one candidate, particularly when Israel remains a divisive topic in this election cycle. Yet Bores, who centers his bid for New York 12th Congressional District on regulating artificial intelligence, has kept the alliance intact.

"You could make a sitcom," said Cameron Kasky, a onetime contender now supporting Bores, alluding to what he termed the "Boalition." "If you placed a dozen Bores backers in one house and filmed them with a reality crew, the result would be must-see viewing."

A glance at the endorsements page on the campaign site shows Chi Osse, the democratic socialist council member who favors pulling city pension money from Israel bonds, listed near Carolyn Maloney, the prior Upper East Side representative known for strong congressional support of Israel.

Progressive organizations including Bernie Sanders Our Revolution and PSC-CUNY back the same candidate who also received the nod from ActJew, a group that promotes more centrist figures and positions itself against antisemitic or anti-Israel trends.

Among Bores supporters are allies of Mayor Zohran Mamdani such as former City Council hopeful Lindsey Boylan, alongside critics of the mayor like Fabien Levy, a Jewish spokesman for Eric Adams.

"I cannot picture the Bores team not occasionally exchanging glances and wondering what is unfolding," Kasky remarked.

A coalition across the Israel divide

How has Bores achieved this balance?

Progressive backers point partly to his efforts on artificial intelligence.

"He advanced the nation strongest rules for the AI sector to shield Americans from those seeking no oversight and only unchecked power and profit," stated Our Revolution executive director Joseph Geevarghese in an endorsement note, citing the RAISE Act that Bores sponsored to add transparency and safety rules for AI systems.

As an officeholder Bores is an insider, though his prior tech career sets him apart from main rival Lasher, who has long worked for figures such as Nadler, Gov. Kathy Hochul and former mayor Mike Bloomberg.

Bores spent nearly five years at Palantir, rising from data scientist in 2014 to US government lead. That role has raised questions among some progressives because of the firm work with ICE, an agency Bores has urged abolishing. He has stated repeatedly that he left Palantir in 2019 over the ICE contract, choosing principle ahead of career and substantial earnings.

Commentators such as center-left analyst Matthew Yglesias, also part of the Bores group, note a distinct advantage in his victory because of the AI regulation pledge and the signal it would send to anti-regulation PACs spending against him. Yglesias noted that Lasher would likewise serve as an above-average House member.

In a contest with narrow differences between the leading candidates on the US-Israel relationship, the AI emphasis distinguishes Bores. Rather than withdraw over Israel disagreements, several progressive groups have chosen to support him.

"Progressives recognize in Alex a determination he will carry forward," said Kasky, who favors an arms embargo on Israel. "That resolve leads progressive organizations to yield ground on Israel-Palestine and the broader Middle East region, an area of growing concern."

Israeli politics in a heavily Jewish district

The district composition also matters. As one of the most Jewish districts nationwide, NY-12 offers less room than other deep-blue areas for a Squad-style challenger. John F. Kennedy grandson Jack Schlossberg is the sole major candidate seeking to condition aid and block weapons transfers to Israel, yet he has slipped in polls amid doubts about his experience.

Bores, Lasher and Schlossberg all appear on the J Street list of approved primary candidates.

Bores confirmed that Our Revolution questioned him on Israel yet still endorsed him. At a May forum he stated that space must exist in progressive circles for those who affirm Israel right to exist and defend itself.

Michael Miller, longtime CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, endorses Bores and described him in a Facebook post as a steadfast backer of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state.

In an interview Miller, whom Bores cited at a recent Temple Emanu-El forum as a Jewish American he admires, said he believes the support from groups such as Our Revolution stems mainly from the AI work.

The presence of decidedly left-wing backers does not concern him so long as antisemitism and support for Israel remain areas where Bores has aligned, Miller said.

Miller added that Bores Jewish family, including wife Darya and son Charlie, shapes his approach to community issues.

Praise and skepticism from Jewish groups

Several Jewish figures in the district have welcomed Bores. Songwriter Benj Pasek and cookbook author Jake Cohen shared social media images from a Bores gathering featuring a discussion with journalist Laurie Segall on AI.

The same day Miller and more than twenty other local Jewish leaders and officials issued a letter backing Bores that stressed his antisemitism record, including funding for Holocaust survivor programs, synagogue security and student museum trips.

Some Jewish organizations remain cautious about the left-wing endorsements critical of Israel.

ActJew board member Moshe Spern urged Bores in March to drop the PSC-CUNY endorsement, noting the union history of calling for divestment from Israel and its handling of Jewish student and faculty concerns after October 7. PSC-CUNY withdrew a pro-BDS resolution in February 2025 following backlash. Spern said he sought to reverse the group endorsement but was outvoted.

Bores responded to Spern post by noting that every major candidate sought the PSC-CUNY nod and that the interview centered on education funding and AI rules. He added that he has condemned campus antisemitic incidents, including at CUNY, and will continue doing so.

Meanwhile certain progressive organizations have withheld support because of Bores pro-Israel stance.

"Endorsing someone unwilling to back the Block the Bombs measure is essentially impossible for us," said Sophie Ellman-Golan of Jews for Racial and Economic Justice, referring to legislation that would bar select weapons sales to Israel. She noted Bores also supported a statewide buffer zone bill aimed at limiting protests near houses of worship, a measure Lasher introduced and JFREJ has opposed.

Recent polling shows little difference in voter response despite Bores stronger left support.

"Any Jewish WhatsApp chat reveals no clear favorite," said Michael Harris, ActJew CEO. "The prevailing view is Bores or Lasher."