AI Industry Clash and Mayor's Power Test in Tuesday Primaries

WASHINGTON (AP) — Two rival factions of the artificial intelligence industry face off in a Democratic primary for a U.S. House seat in New York. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani tests his political influence by backing fellow democratic socialists. President Donald Trump, after two of his governor picks lost this month, now endorses both candidates in a South Carolina runoff. These are key races to watch Tuesday as voters go to the polls in Maryland, New York, South Carolina and Utah. **Manhattan House Race: AI Regulation on the Ballot** A crowded Democratic primary has become a proxy battle between two powerful AI industry camps. The focus is on New York Assemblyman Alex Bores. Bores, a former Palantir employee who left due to ethical concerns, wrote one of the most sweeping state-level AI regulation bills in the country. He says that bill is a model for how he would approach regulation in Congress. A political group funded by OpenAI investors spent over $7 million on ads against Bores. In response, groups partly funded by Anthropic — maker of the chatbot Claude and co-founded by former OpenAI employees — spent more than $10 million to support him. The election will measure the political strength of these two AI factions. **Mamdani's Influence Tested** Mayor Mamdani endorsed Democratic primary candidates from his own political camp: a progressive and two democratic socialists. They are challenging more established candidates, some backed by party leaders. Rep. Dan Goldman faces Mamdani-backed Brad Lander, the former comptroller. A key issue between the two Jewish candidates is the war in Gaza, with Lander criticizing Goldman for not being tough enough on Israel. In upper Manhattan, Rep. Adriano Espaillat, 71, faces Darializa Avila Chevalier, 32, a democratic socialist and public defender endorsed by Mamdani. In Brooklyn and Queens, where Rep. Nydia Velázquez is retiring, Mamdani backs Assemblymember Claire Valdez. Velázquez supports another candidate. These races will test Mamdani's political clout and the strength of democratic socialist platforms in New York City. **Trump's Hedge in South Carolina** Trump often boasts about his endorsement record, but his picks for governor in Georgia and Iowa lost this month. To avoid another loss, he backed both candidates in South Carolina's Republican runoff for governor. Trump initially supported Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette in May. On Friday, he also endorsed her opponent, state Attorney General Alan Wilson. "I can't hurt one of them by only Endorsing the other," he wrote online. The projected winner: Trump's endorsement record. **Utah's New Democratic Battleground** Utah's Democratic primaries rarely draw attention, but redistricting created a strongly Democratic district centered on Salt Lake City. Candidates are now competing to prove who is more progressive. Former Rep. Ben McAdams, once a moderate who described himself as pro-life, now supports abortion rights and calls himself "moderate in tone." His progressive challengers include state Sen. Nate Blouin, backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, and political newcomer Liban Mohamed. **Maryland Republicans Search for Hogan's Heir** Republican Larry Hogan governed Maryland for eight years as a moderate. Democratic Gov. Wes Moore now seeks reelection. Republicans have not found a clear successor to Hogan, with nine candidates in Tuesday's primary. Dan Cox, who lost his gubernatorial bid four years ago, runs on a conservative platform of tax cuts and housing affordability. Ed Hale, owner of the Baltimore Blast soccer team and a former Democrat, also seeks the nomination.