Jack Schlossberg Loses Primary Lead Amid Erratic Behavior and Campaign Turnover

Kennedy heir and Democratic influencer Jack Schlossberg appears to be losing his political luster. New polls show he has forfeited his early lead in the primary for NY-12 amid damaging reports on campaign disarray. An Emerson College survey of likely voters, conducted last week, places Mr. Schlossberg well behind frontrunner Micah Lasher, a protégé and endorsee of outgoing Representative Jerry Nadler, and Assemblymember Alex Bores, a former Palantir employee turned AI regulation proponent. Mr. Lasher and Mr. Bores are neck and neck at 22 percent and 20 percent, respectively, while Mr. Schlossberg trails at 11 percent.Shortly after the poll was released, Mr. Schlossberg took a dig at his competitor, Mr. Bores, accusing a San Francisco-born crypto billionaire, Chris Larsen, of trying to “buy our Manhattan congressional district.” According to financial disclosures from 2025, Mr. Schlossberg holds between $10.5 million and $31.9 million in assets. Mr. Larsen announced earlier this month that he would spend $3.5 million on Mr. Bores’ behalf as AI-linked super PACs have mobilized against Mr. Bores over his push to regulate the industry. The poll reflects a marked reversal in the race to nab one of the most coveted Democratic seats in the country. Mr. Schlossberg had held an early lead through the winter and into spring, with an April poll showing he commanded 22 percent, ahead of Mr. Bores at 19 percent and Mr. Lasher at 14 percent.His slide comes as the campaign has been dogged by allegations of high staff turnover and reports of erratic behavior. In April, just six months after launch, Politico reported that Mr. Schlossberg had cycled through two operations directors, a campaign manager, and at least two political consulting firms.A New York Times report last week added fresh details of the dysfunction, citing claims from those close to him that he would regularly skip weekly strategy sessions and disappear for long stretches without explanation. The Times also reported that the 33-year-old left his own campaign launch abruptly to take a nap, then effectively went dark for the rest of the day. His new campaign manager, Paige Phillips, pushed back on the Times report, noting that Mr. Schlossberg was campaigning “amid a deeply, deeply personal tragedy” — the death of his sister, Tatiana, in December. “If an anonymous source thought he ‘disappeared’ at any point, they should remind themselves of that fact,” Ms. Phillips told the paper. She also defended the staff turnover, arguing that “in a campaign that spans nine months, this stuff should not surprise anyone working in New York politics.”Mr. Schlossberg appeared to respond in kind, posting a picture of himself on X resting on a counter with his eyes closed. “Needed a quick nap !! Even though I just woke up. Rest of the day / month wide open lmk if you wanna hang ? Wait nvm changed my mind really busy can’t make it,” he wrote. The primary has become a race to watch, drawing high-profile candidates and major donors. Former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg publicly endorsed Mr. Lasher in March and is reportedly prepared to spend millions to boost his campaign.Mr. Schlossberg, the sole grandson of President Kennedy, has built a following as a social media personality, amassing millions of followers across his main platforms. His content — much of which he has scrubbed since launching his campaign — has ranged from from shirtless selfies to ballet videos to inflammatory political commentary. Some of his more controversial posts, particularly those targeting Vice President Vance and his wife, Usha Vance, are now being recirculated.

Jack Schlossberg Loses Primary Lead Amid Erratic Behavior and Campaign Turnover

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