Vox
June 20, 2026
Millennial Politicians Challenge AI Regulation and Democratic Establishment
TL;DR
Two millennial candidates running in New York congressional primaries discuss AI regulation and generational change in the Democratic Party, arguing that younger politicians must push bold visions despite establishment resistance and corporate pressure.
Key Takeaways
- 1Alex Borris is fighting for AI regulation despite a $10 million super PAC attack from Trump donors, arguing that 70-80% of voters support regulation but fear prevents elected officials from acting
- 2The RAISE Act represents the strongest state-level AI safety law, requiring major AI developers to publicly disclose safety plans and report critical incidents to government
- 3Daria E. Lisa Abusán Chevalier represents a new wave of democratic socialist candidates winning on affirmative visions rather than fear-based politics, following Zohran Mamdani's mayoral victory
- 4Democratic establishment figures like Congressman Adriano Espaillat face primary challenges from candidates who prioritize domestic investment over foreign military aid
- 5Both candidates argue the 2024 election represented a missed window for addressing AI and work's future before impacts become irreversible
- 6Younger progressive candidates are deleting old social media and moderating rhetoric to broaden appeal while maintaining core values around justice and economic transformation
Notable Quotes
“I think there's a lot of fear among elected officials that if they try to regulate this technology, it will be the end of their political careers.”
— Alex Borris
“There's so much money on the other side and we've even seen leadership within the Democratic Party tell marginal members, 'Hey, maybe stay away from AI.'”
— Alex Borris
“a lot of pressure to be wokier than thou, right? And that has gotten us to a point where a lot of people groan or roll their eyes.”
— Daria E. Lisa Abusán Chevalier
“It's not enough to share identity. We also have to share our values and share our fight and share our commitment to winning for our people.”
— Daria E. Lisa Abusán Chevalier
Chapters
1. AI Regulation and Corporate Pressure
Alex Borris discusses his work at Palantir Technologies and his break with the company over ICE deportation contracts. He explains his flagship RAISE Act legislation requiring AI safety plans, disclosure of incidents, and developer duty of care, and reflects on how the bill was watered down before passage despite 70-80% public support for regulation.
2. The AI Divide and Democratic Fear
Borris argues that fear and corporate money prevent most elected officials from supporting AI regulation, despite broad constituent support. He proposes solutions including AI moratoriums, public equity stakes in frontier labs, and an AI dividend to protect workers, comparing it to insurance against technological displacement.
3. Generational Change and the New Left
Daria E. Lisa Abusán Chevalier discusses her challenge to incumbent Congressman Espaillat in New York's 13th District, framing her candidacy as part of a generational shift toward politicians offering affirmative visions rather than fear-based messaging, drawing inspiration from Zohran Mamdani's mayoral win.
4. Foreign Policy and Progressive Priorities
Abusán Chevalier criticizes Espaillat's votes to send military aid to Israel while the district faces poverty, arguing budgets reflect moral priorities. She frames military spending as directly connected to lack of resources for housing, education, and community investment.
5. Rhetoric, Deleted Tweets, and Language Evolution
Abusán Chevalier addresses criticism of past tweets advocating for abolishing police and prisons, clarifying that she deleted her entire Twitter account years before running for office. She acknowledges that aggressive rhetoric like 'woke-than-thou' was counterproductive and explains her current focus on unifying language while maintaining commitments to justice and accountability.
6. Immigration and Moral Frameworks
Abusán Chevalier defends her position that all deportations are wrong, distinguishing between administrative and criminal law while arguing that subjecting non-citizens to both criminal and immigration systems constitutes unconstitutional double jeopardy with racialized impacts.
Key People & Entities
- Alex Borris
- New York State Assemblyman and congressional candidate in NY-12, former Palantir Technologies employee, author of RAISE Act AI regulation
- Daria E. Lisa Abusán Chevalier
- Democratic Socialist candidate in New York's 13th Congressional District, public defender, community organizer focused on mass incarceration and immigration justice
- Congressman Adriano Espaillat
- Incumbent representative for NY-13, first Dominican American and first formerly undocumented person elected to Congress, chair of Congressional Hispanic Caucus
- Zohran Mamdani
- Democratic Socialist who won New York City mayoral race the previous year, example of progressive vision-based politics inspiring new candidates
- Bernie Sanders
- Senator who proposed AI moratorium on data centers and legislation for public equity stakes in frontier AI labs
- Palantir Technologies
- Data analytics company that provides software to government agencies; Borris worked there and left over its ICE deportation contracts
- OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Meta
- Frontier AI companies that would be regulated under the RAISE Act
Glossary
- RAISE Act
- New York state legislation requiring major AI developers to create public safety plans, disclose critical safety incidents to government, and take responsibility for their products through a duty of care standard
- AI Dividend
- A proposal to raise revenue from AI development and distribute it through job retraining, job guarantees, or universal basic income to protect workers from technological displacement
- Frontier AI Labs
- The largest and most advanced artificial intelligence development companies, currently including OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Meta, and potentially Microsoft and Amazon
- Super PAC
- A political action committee that can raise unlimited funds for independent expenditures but cannot coordinate directly with candidates
- Democratic Socialist
- A political position advocating for democratic governance combined with socialist economic policies, emphasizing wealth redistribution and public ownership