Representative in Congress District 12 in Statewide, New York

2026 Primary Election

• John Schlossberg — Writer and Political Commentator in New York, NY

  John Bouvier Kennedy Schlossberg, known as Jack, is a writer, political commentator, and the only grandson of President John F. Kennedy. He earned a BA from Yale University and a joint JD/MBA from Harvard University. Schlossberg served as a staff assistant in the U.S. State Department and worked as a political correspondent for Vogue. In November 2025, he announced his candidacy for New York's 12th Congressional District, running as a Democrat for the seat vacated by retiring Rep. Jerry Nadler.

• Erik Bottcher — New York State Senator in New York, NY

  Erik Bottcher is the New York State Senator for District 47, assuming office in February 2026 after winning a special election. He previously served as a member of the New York City Council representing District 3 from 2022 to 2026. Bottcher began his career in public service as an LGBTQ and HIV/AIDS Community Liaison for the City Council and the governor's office. He filed to run for the U.S. House in New York's 12th District but withdrew in late 2025 to run for the State Senate.

• Nina Schwalbe — Founder and Principal of Spark Street Advisors in New York, NY

  Nina Schwalbe is a public health researcher and advocate running for the U.S. House of Representatives in New York's 12th Congressional District. She is the founder of the global public health think tank Spark Street Advisors and a senior scholar at Georgetown University. Schwalbe has held leadership roles at UNICEF, Gavi, and USAID, where she directed the COVID-19 Vaccine Access and Delivery Initiative. She is campaigning on a platform of health equity, affordability, and science-based policy.

• Amy Jordan — Author and Advocate in New York, NY

  Amy Jordan is an author, advocate, and Republican candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in New York's 12th Congressional District. A resident of the Upper West Side, Jordan has been legally blind since age 21 due to type 1 diabetes. After surviving a severe bus accident, she became a voice for disability rights and founded The SWEET ENUFF Movement, a youth health initiative. Her congressional platform focuses on affordable healthcare, public education, and economic growth.

• Caroline Shinkle — Corporate Lawyer in New York, NY

  Caroline Shinkle is an attorney and Republican candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in New York's 12th Congressional District [1.3]. She earned a degree in economics from MIT and her J.D. from Harvard Law School. Shinkle previously worked at the Federal Reserve Board of Governors and completed internships at the European Central Bank and the Bank of Israel. Most recently, she has worked as a corporate lawyer at an international law firm in New York City.

• Mathew Shurka — Candidate for Representative in Congress in New York, NY

  Mathew Shurka is an LGBTQ+ rights advocate running for the U.S. House of Representatives in New York's 12th Congressional District. A native New Yorker and the son of an immigrant and two taxicab drivers, Shurka survived five years of conversion therapy. In 2014, he co-founded the Born Perfect campaign, a national effort that helped pass legislation banning conversion therapy in 27 states and over 120 municipalities. He lives in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York City with his fiancé.

• Lucian Wintrich — Candidate for Representative in Congress in New York, NY

  Lucian Baxter Wintrich IV is an American writer, photographer, and media personality running for the U.S. House to represent New York's 12th Congressional District. Wintrich earned a B.A. in Political Science from Bard College. He gained prominence as a White House correspondent for the conservative news site The Gateway Pundit. Wintrich has also worked as a digital strategist and in policy consulting, and he serves on the board of governors for the New York Young Republican Club.

• Patrick Timmins — Civil Litigator and Adjunct Professor in New York, NY

  Patrick Timmins is an attorney and adjunct professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, where he has taught for over 20 years. Born in Manhattan, he earned his bachelor's degree from Manhattan University and his law degree from Pace University. He previously worked in the Bronx District Attorney's office and as a civil litigator handling asbestos cases. In 2025, he ran in the Democratic primary for Manhattan District Attorney. He has resided in Manhattan for his entire adult life.

• Kaley Aldrich — College Instructor in New York, NY

  Kaley Aldrich is a college instructor and former congressional intern running as a Republican candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in New York's 12th Congressional District. She is seeking to represent the district in the 2026 election, campaigning for the open seat left vacant by the retirement of long-time incumbent Representative Jerry Nadler. Aldrich currently resides in New York City and has a background that includes studies at New York University.

• Micah Lasher — Member of the New York State Assembly in New York, NY

  Micah C. Lasher is a member of the New York State Assembly representing District 69, assuming office in 2025. He is currently running for the U.S. House of Representatives in New York's 12th Congressional District. Previously, Lasher served as Director of Policy for New York Governor Kathy Hochul, Chief of Staff to the New York State Attorney General, and Director of State Legislative Affairs for New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. He earned a bachelor's degree in sociology from NYU.

• Alan Pardee — Head of Investor Relations at Stella Point Capital in New York, NY

  Alan Pardee is a private equity executive and former Democratic candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in New York's 12th Congressional District for the 2026 election, suspending his campaign in March 2026. Born and raised in Manhattan, Pardee built a 30-year career in finance. He served as a managing director at Merrill Lynch, co-founded Mercury Capital Advisors, and currently works at Stella Point Capital. He also serves as a board member of New York Common Pantry.

• Christopher Diep — Software Engineer in New York, NY

  Christopher Diep is a software engineer and Democratic candidate for New York's 12th Congressional District [1.9]. The son of Vietnamese refugees, Diep earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry and initially worked as a tutor and in tech support. He transitioned into software engineering after attending the Flatiron School, going on to work at Wayfair for over four years where he led cloud migration projects. He is running for Congress on a platform focused on supporting workers and entrepreneurs.

• Wilneida Negron — Director of Policy and Research at Coworker.org in New York, NY

  Dr. Wilneida Negrón is a technology strategist, public servant, and author running as an Independent for U.S. House in New York's 12th Congressional District. Born in Puerto Rico, she began her career as a social worker assisting families in navigating the court and healthcare systems. She later earned a Ph.D. and currently serves as the Director of Policy and Research at Coworker.org, focusing on the intersection of labor, financial markets, consumer rights, and technology policy.

• Liam Elkind — Nonprofit CEO in New York, NY

  Liam Elkind is a non-profit leader, Rhodes Scholar, and former Democratic candidate for the U.S. House to represent New York's 12th Congressional District in the 2026 election. Born and raised on the Upper West Side of New York City, Elkind co-founded Invisible Hands during the COVID-19 pandemic, an organization that mobilized volunteers to deliver food and essentials to homebound New Yorkers. He initially launched a primary campaign against Jerry Nadler but later withdrew from the race.

• Karen Ortiz — Candidate for Representative in Congress in New York, NY

  Karen Ortiz is an attorney and former Administrative Judge for the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). She was terminated in 2025 after publicly objecting to executive orders that paused discrimination investigations involving transgender people. Born in Manhattan, Ortiz holds degrees from Columbia University and Fordham Law School. Running as an Independent for New York's 12th Congressional District in 2026, her campaign platform focuses on Medicare for All and LGBTQIA+ rights.

• Micah Bergdale — Entrepreneur and CEO in New York, NY

  Micah Bergdale is an entrepreneur and technology executive based in New York City. He founded Joulez, an electric vehicle rental company, and previously served as CEO of Bytemark, a mobile payments and transit ticketing platform. Early in his career, Bergdale worked at Apple before starting his own IT consulting firm. He earned a bachelor's degree from Northern Arizona University. Bergdale is running as a Democratic candidate for the U.S. House to represent New York's 12th Congressional District.

• George Conway — Candidate for Representative in Congress in New York, NY

  George Conway is a lawyer and prominent anti-Trump activist who co-founded the Lincoln Project and the Society for the Rule of Law. Formerly a conservative Republican, Conway became an outspoken critic of Donald Trump and re-registered as a Democrat. A longtime resident of the New York area who recently relocated to Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood, he is running for New York's 12th Congressional District in the 2026 Democratic primary to succeed retiring Representative Jerry Nadler.

• Laura Dunn — Civil Rights Attorney in New York, NY

  Laura L. Dunn is a civil rights attorney running for the U.S. House of Representatives in New York's 12th Congressional District. She founded the national nonprofit SurvJustice and established the L.L. Dunn Law Firm, focusing on Title IX and campus sexual assault litigation. Dunn contributed to drafting Section 304 of the 2013 Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act and advised the White House Task Force to Protect Students Against Sexual Assault. She earned her J.D. from the University of Maryland.

• Alexander Bores — New York State Assemblymember in New York, NY

  Alexander Bores is a New York State Assemblymember representing District 73 since January 2023. A former software engineer with degrees from Cornell University and Georgia Tech, Bores is currently running for the U.S. House of Representatives in New York's 12th Congressional District. In the State Assembly, he has focused heavily on technology policy, notably sponsoring the Responsible AI Safety and Education (RAISE) Act to regulate artificial intelligence development.

• Cameron Kasky — Political Activist in New York, NY

  Cameron Kasky is an American political activist and advocate against gun violence [1.3]. A survivor of the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, he co-founded the student-led advocacy group Never Again MSD and helped organize the March for Our Lives protests. Kasky attended Columbia University in New York City. In late 2025, he launched a campaign for New York's 12th Congressional District but withdrew from the primary in January 2026.

• Charles Munoz — Candidate for New York State Assembly in New York, NY

  Mike Muñoz (who appears in some data as Charles Munoz) is a former Sergeant in the United States Army who served 14 years on active duty and in the Reserves, including deployments to Iraq. He is the founding Commander of American Legion Post 917 in New York City. A Republican, he initially ran for New York's 12th Congressional District in 2026 before withdrawing to run for the New York State Assembly in District 67.

• Jerrold Nadler — Incumbent Representative in Congress in New York, NY

  Jerrold Nadler is an American lawyer and politician who has served as a U.S. Representative from New York since 1992. He currently represents New York's 12th Congressional District, which includes parts of Manhattan. Nadler served as Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee from 2019 to 2023 and is a founding member of the LGBT Equality Caucus. A graduate of Columbia University and Fordham Law School, he previously served 16 years in the New York State Assembly.

• Jami Floyd — JournalistandLegalAnalyst in New York, NY

  JamiFloydisanAmericanattorney, journalist, andlegalanalyst.ShecurrentlyservesasalegalanalystatABCNewsandpreviouslyhosted"AllThingsConsidered"atWNYCRadio.BorninNewYorkCity, FloydholdsaBAfromBinghamtonUniversity, aJDfromUCBerkeley, andanLLMfromStanfordUniversity.InOctober2025, shelaunchedacampaignforNewYork's12thCongressionalDistrictbutwithdrewfromtheDemocraticprimaryinFebruary2026[1.3].

• Massimiliano Zappone — Business Consultant and Entrepreneur in NY

  Massimiliano "Max" Zappone is a Republican candidate running for the U.S. House of Representatives to represent New York's 12th Congressional District in the 2026 election. He graduated from Fordham Preparatory School and earned a bachelor's degree from Fordham University in 1996. His professional background includes working as an entrepreneur, business consultant, and political activist. He is competing in the June 2026 primary for the open seat.

• Robert Huhn — Family Nurse Practitioner and Air National Guard Officer in Amsterdam, NY

  Robert "Robb" Dillon Huhn is an Unaffiliated candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in New York's 12th Congressional District. Professionally, he works as a Family Nurse Practitioner. He also serves as a Lieutenant Colonel in the New York Air National Guard, where he has been a commander for the 139th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron. He filed to run for Congress as an independent in the 2026 elections.