Nadler, retiring, leaves highly anticipated void in Manhattan politics

A giant of Upper West Side politics announced his retirement on Monday night, and a younger generation of ambitious Manhattan politicians are already rushing to fill the void.

Rep. Jerry Nadler told The New York Times that he will not run for reelection next year, capping off a 34-year career in Congress. Although Nadler would not endorse a successor on the record, there is no doubt within political circles: his heir apparent is Assembly Member Micah Lasher, whom one Manhattan politico told City & State is “like a son to Jerry.”

Lasher will have to fight to win the seat, though. City & State has learned that both Assembly Member Alex Bores and New York City Council Member Erik Bottcher are seriously considering running for Nadler’s seat and have already begun making calls to potential supporters. 

In the hours after Nadler announced his resignation, both Bores and Bottcher lauded him. 

“From the NY Assembly to the US Congress, Congressman Nadler has always led with the conviction of his beliefs and a deep commitment to his constituents,” Bores wrote in a tweet. “The people of the 12th Congressional District deserve that kind of (representation).”

“Let us honor Jerry's extraordinary legacy not only with gratitude, but by carrying his fight forward with the urgency this moment demands,” Bottcher said in a statement. “From protecting democracy to advancing equality to defeating fascism, we must take his work further.”

The 43-year-old Lasher, who currently represents the Upper West Side and West Harlem, has worked as an aide to Nadler, former Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Gov. Kathy Hochul. He also led StudentsFirst NY, a pro-charter school advocacy group. Lasher won an open Assembly seat last year, beating out a more progressive challenger, and is now in his first term in the state Legislature. He represents the Upper West Side and West Harlem.

Bottcher, who is three years older than Lasher, currently represents the Manhattan neighborhoods of Greenwich Village, Chelsea and Hell’s Kitchen. He got his start in politics working on LGTBQ+ and HIV/AIDS issues for the City Council before joining then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s administration to work on marriage equality. Bottcher, who is gay, later served as chief of staff to former City Council Speaker Corey Johnson, the first out gay man to lead the council. When Johnson was term-limited out of the City Council, Bottcher successfully ran to replace him. He is currently running for reelection to his council seat.

Bores is about a decade younger than either Lasher or Bottcher and currently represents the East Side of Manhattan. He first won election to the state Legislature in 2022 and is now in his second term. Bores is a software engineer who once worked at the controversial surveillance company Palantir, and he has gained a reputation for his numerous bills regulating AI technology. 

Nadler already has one declared primary challenger: Liam Elkind, the 26-year-old founder of a nonprofit organization. Other rumored or potential candidates include City Council Members Keith Powers and Julie Menin (though Menin is also eyeing the City Council speakership), former Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan, state Sen. Liz Krueger and Assembly Member Linda Rosenthal.

Lasher will be difficult for anyone to beat. He can count on institutional support on the Upper West Side and Nadler’s endorsement. Though he has made some enemies among progressives – who object to his work for Bloomberg and the charter school lobby – he has recently gained credibility on the left by supporting Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani. Lasher, a staunch supporter of Israel who has harshly criticized the Democratic Socialists of America’s anti-Israel politics, endorsed Mamdani days after he won the primary and has since served as a key validator for pro-Israel Jewish New Yorkers who are wary of the socialist state legislator.

The scramble to replace Nadler could spill over into the special elections for the 47th state Senate District (currently held by state Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal, who will likely be elected Manhattan borough president in November) and Assembly District 74 (currently held by Assembly Member Harvey Epstein, who will likely be elected to the City Council in November). Lasher and Bottcher had been expected to run for Hoylman-Sigal’s seat, while Powers had been expected to run for Epstein’s seat. But if they all run for Congress instead, that could create new opportunities for other candidates.