(The Center Square) — Political pundit and Trump critic George Conway has joined a crowded field of Democrats seeking to replace outgoing Rep. Jerry Nadler in New York’s 12th Congressional District.
Conway, 62, a lawyer and former Republican consultant, announced his candidacy on Tuesday in a video that stressed his knowledge of Beltway politics and his efforts to push back against the Trump administration’s divisive policies.
“We have a corrupt president, a mendacious president, a criminal president whose masked agents are disappearing people from our streets, who’s breaking international law, and he’s running our federal government like a mob protection racket,” Conway said in the video. “I know how to fight these people. They will stop at nothing to rig the system for themselves. I’ve been fighting Trump for years, and nothing will stop me.”
His campaign announcement, on the five-year anniversary of the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, featured video clips of demonstrators breaking windows, prying open doors and climbing into the building where Congress was certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election.
Conway has been a frequent critic of President Donald Trump’s policies since his first presidency. He co-founded the Lincoln Project, an anti-Trump political action committee that has funded TV ads and initiatives criticizing the president. He’s also the ex-husband of Kellyanne Conway, who served as Trump’s senior advisor during his first presidency.
Nadler, 78, is serving out his 17th term in Congress. He announced in September that he won’t seek reelection next year, suggesting that a younger Democratic lawmaker in his seat “can maybe do better, can maybe help us more.”
Conway joins a crowded field of contenders already running for the deep blue 12th congressional district seat, which includes Manhattan’s Upper West Side, Upper East Side and midtown. Most are running on the message that it’s time for younger leaders to rebuild the Democratic party. To date, a dozen candidates have filed to run in the Democratic primary, according to Federal Election Commission filings.
Democrat Jack Schlossberg, the grandson of former President John F. Kennedy, jumped into the race in November. Nonprofit founder Liam Elkind, 26, entered the race for Nadler’s congressional seat in August. Other candidates include New York State Assembly member Micah Lasher, 43, Alex Bores, 35, journalist and lawyer Jami Floyd, 51. Several other Democrats are considering a run.
New York’s 12th district is one of several competitive races on the state’s ballot in next year’s midterm elections. New York City Comptroller Brad Lander is running for New York’s 10th Congressional District, setting up a Democratic primary clash with incumbent Rep. Dan Goldman Meanwhile, Rep. Nydia Velázquez decision not to seek reelection next year is expected to spark a scramble to fill the 7th Congressional District.
