Trump critic George Conway files for Nadler's New York seat as a Democrat

Mary Ellen McIntire, CQ-Roll Call on Dec 22, 2025

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WASHINGTON — Another high-profile candidate is joining the race to succeed retiring New York Rep. Jerrold Nadler.

George Conway, the conservative lawyer turned Donald Trump critic who was married to former White House counselor Kellyanne Conway, filed a statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission on Monday, declaring his intention to run for New York’s 12th District, which includes Manhattan’s Upper West and East sides.

“I’m going into the arena. I’ve already put my money where my mouth is, but now it’s time to lay it all on the line,” Conway wrote in a Monday post announcing a new Substack that did not directly reference a congressional campaign.

“We need Democrats to take over Congress — and not just any Democrats, but the most fearless and relentless ones,” he wrote. “The next two years will show us exactly how much lawlessness Republicans will accept. Doing nothing is the same as saying yes.”

Conway was previously a lawyer for conservative causes, including working on a lawsuit brought by Paula Jones against then-President Bill Clinton. He became a fierce critic of Trump during his first administration, which drew eyebrows as Conway’s then-wife had successfully managed Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and was a top White House adviser.

Conway went on to help found the anti-Trump super PAC the Lincoln Project in 2019. He and Kellyanne Conway announced their divorce in 2023.

Conway joins a crowded field of Democrats who have announced bids to succeed Nadler, a former chairman of the House Judiciary Committee who played a key role during Trump’s first impeachment. The winner of the primary would be heavily favored in the general election in a district that backed Kamala Harris by 64 points last year, according to calculations by Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales.

Conway wouldn’t be the only candidate in the race with a national profile: Social media personality Jack Schlossberg, the grandson of President John F. Kennedy, announced his campaign last month. Other Democrats running include state Assemblymembers Micah Lasher, a former aide to Nadler, and Alex Bores; civil rights attorney Laura Dunn; former journalist Jami Floyd; gun-control activist Cameron Kasky; businessman Alan Pardee; and LGBTQ rights activist Mathew Shurka.

New York City Council member Erik Bottcher announced Monday that he was ending his campaign to succeed Nadler and would instead run for a newly open state Senate seat.

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