New Candidate Joins Crowded Race For Jerry Nadler's Seat

NEW YORK CITY — West Side Councilmember Erik Bottcher is joining a packed congressional race — including two Assemblymembers, a Kennedy heir, and a Rhodes scholar — to succeed Congressman Jerry Nadler, the Democrat told Patch Thursday.

Bottcher, who has represented the West Village, Chelsea, Hell's Kitchen, parts of Midtown and Flatiron in City Council since 2021, told Patch that he was motivated to launch a campaign for New York's District 12 because of his opposition to President Donald Trump.

"I love my country, and I love my city, and I'm heartbroken and angry about what's happening in our country," Bottcher told Patch in an interview.

The big field, which includes Upper West Side Assemblymember Micah Lasher, Upper East Side Assemblymember Alex Bores, Kennedy heir Jack Schlossberg, and Rhodes scholar Liam Elkind, as well as newcomers Laura Dunn, Jami Floyd, Alan Pardee, and Mathew Shurka so far, doesn't phase Bottcher, he said.

"I look forward to putting my record and my vision up against the other candidates in the race," Bottcher told Patch.

One of Bottcher's first policy ideas is that New York City should withhold tax revenue from the federal government, a retaliatory measure meant to give Trump a taste of his own medicine, Bottcher told Patch.

"If Donald Trump is going to come after New York City, we need to come after him — and that means withholding tax revenue," Bottcher told Patch. "We need to defund Donald Trump."

It's a crowded race already full of Democrats, but what Bottcher told Patch makes him stand out is his experience as a member of the gay community and an LGBTQ rights activist.

"I’m the only person in this race who’s fled bigotry and persecution to find their way to New York," he told Patch, referencing his upbringing as a closeted gay kid in the Adirondacks.

"The LGBTQ community is under attack in a way that we haven’t been in a generation — and I’m fighting for the rights of all New Yorkers, especially those being directly targeted by Trump. We need fighters."

Nadler said in September that he would leave public office at the end of his term to make way for "a new generation."

"This decision has not been easy," Nadler, who has served in public office for more than 30 years, said in September. "But I know in my heart it is the right one and that it is the right time to pass the torch to a new generation."

District 12 includes the Upper East Side, the Upper West Side, Midtown, Hell's Kitchen, Central Park, Union Square, Chelsea, and Stuy-Town.

"Jerry and I largely align on most issues. What I’m bringing is 24/7, around-the-clock energy," Bottcher said.

The general election for NY-12 is on Nov. 3, 2026.

For questions and tips, email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com.