New York Congressional Race: A Thumping Loss for Kennedy Scion Jack Schlossberg

John F. Kennedy's grandson, Jack Schlossberg, came in a distant third place in the Democratic primary to replace retiring Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y. – a result that sent shockwaves through the Democratic Party. Schlossberg's loss was not unexpected, given the disorderly campaign and sometimes volatile behavior from the 33-year-old first-time candidate. The news of Schlossberg's loss was met with widespread disappointment from his supporters, who had high hopes for the young candidate. The question on everyone's mind was, what went wrong for Schlossberg?

Schlossberg had won a paltry 10.8% of votes when the race was called by the Associated Press just after 10 p.m. ET. This was a far cry from what many had expected from the charismatic candidate, who had been touted as a rising star in the Democratic Party. Schlossberg's loss was a major setback for the Kennedy family, who had high hopes for their scion. In comparison, Democratic state assemblyman Micah Lasher, endorsed by Nadler, won the race with 39% of the vote, ahead of fellow state lawmaker Alex Bores who received 35%.

The race for Nadler's seat has been one of the most expensive congressional primaries this election cycle, with tech groups targeting Bores, a former Palantir employee-turned-critic over his support for AI regulations. About $8 million for ads attacking Bores have come from Think Big, a group affiliated with Leading the Future, which is backed by OpenAI's Greg Brockman, venture capitalist Marc Andreessen and Palantir's Joe Lonsdale, Politico reported. Crypto billionaire Chris Larsen has spent more than $3 million to support Bores, according to Politico. Groups partly funded by Anthropic have also backed Bores, the Associated Press reported. Billionaire and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has spent at least $10 million to support Lasher, his former employee.

Schlossberg, 33, flamed out early in the race, facing reports of a disorganized operation and volatile behavior, including frequent outbursts against his adversaries and provocative posts on Instagram, where he has 883,000 followers. He faced accusations of a high turnover rate among his staff and criticism of his lack of experience. In one highly cited story about his behavior, The New York Times reported Schlossberg told his staff on campaign launch day he was going home to take a nap. His campaign manager, Paige Phillips, downplayed the alleged nap, telling the paper he was privately dealing with his sister, Tatiana's, cancer diagnosis. She died in December at the age of 35. Schlossberg recently told The New Yorker he decided to continue his campaign, despite grieving his sister, because he was inspired by his work as a Biden campaign surrogate and wanted to continue the momentum.

Schlossberg's loss has left many wondering what the future holds for the young candidate. Insiders suggest that Schlossberg may consider running again in the future, but for now, he will have to regroup and reassess his plans. In a statement, Schlossberg congratulated Lasher on his victory, but made it clear that he was not ruling out a future run.

While Schlossberg's loss may be a setback for the Kennedy family, it is not the first time they have faced challenges in their political careers. In the 2018 midterm elections, Caroline Kennedy's cousin, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., lost his bid for the U.S. Senate seat in New York. Despite this, the Kennedy family remains a force to be reckoned with in American politics. As one observer noted, 'The Kennedy family has a rich history of public service, and it's unlikely that we've seen the last of them.'

In the aftermath of Schlossberg's loss, the political landscape in New York's 12th Congressional District has been rearranged. Lasher, the winner, will face a challenging terrain in the general election, where he will be pitted against a Republican opponent who will be eager to capitalize on the Democratic primary's divisiveness. As for Bores, he will have to confront his own demons, including allegations of AI regulation support and the influence of tech groups in his campaign. One thing is certain – the future of New York's 12th Congressional District is uncertain, and only time will tell what the outcome will be.