Copyright Joliet, IL Patch
As one East Sider eyes Washington, another eyes Albany. UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — There's a game of political musical chairs happening on the Upper East Side this week. East Side Assemblymember Alex Bores said Monday he is tossing his hat in the ring to represent District 12 in Congress, joining a what's expected to be a crowded primary race for Congressman Jerry Nadler's deep blue seat. By Tuesday his campaign had raised more than $1,000,000. Then, on Wednesday morning, Vanessa Aronson, who narrowly lost a primary campaign for City Council District 4 to Virginia Maloney, announced she'd be running for Bores's newly opened Assembly seat, and endorsed him. Before running for office, Aronson, who is from Lenox Hill, worked as a public school teacher at MS 319, an advisor to the president at Hunter College, the director of strategy at the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and a U.S. diplomat stationed in Indonesia, Vietnam, and at the UN. "I’ve dedicated my life to service, to building community, and to standing up for what’s right," Aronson said. "Now, I’m ready to bring that same commitment to Albany to tackle the issues that matter most to East Siders — public safety, mental health, education, and housing affordability — while always defending New Yorkers from Trump’s threats to our values and our democracy." The announcement comes more than a month after Nadler, 78, said he would leave his District 12 seat wide open for the 2026 midterms to "pass the torch to a new generation." Bores confirmed he'd be running for the seat, following Assemblymember Micah Lasher's announcement a month ago. Nadler hasn't made an official endorsement for his successor yet, but Lasher, who represents the Upper West Side, is expected to get it, a political insider who spoke anonymously with Patch said. Bores was born on the East Side of Manhattan and earned a bachelor's degree from Cornell University in 2013 and a graduate degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2020. Before running for public office, Bores worked as an engineer. Bores, who represents Murray Hill, Midtown East, and the Upper East Side in the State Assembly, got Aronson's endorsement for the seat in her campaign announcement. "Assembly Member Alex Bores is the pride of the East Side," Aronson said. "Our entire country will benefit from his leadership in Congress." Another candidate, Chelsea-based Rhodes scholar Liam Elkind, has already announced his run for the District 12 seat. In July, he said he was calling on Nadler to step down due to his age to make room for the new generation, CNN reported. Other potential challengers for the NY-12 seat could be City Councilmember Erik Bottcher, who represents SoHo, West Village, Chelsea, Hell's Kitchen, Union Square and parts of Midtown.
