Former Republican lawyer George Conway is officially entering New York’s crowded Democratic primary to replace retiring Rep. Jerry Nadler, launching a campaign defined almost entirely by opposition to President Donald Trump.
Conway, who was once married to former Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway, finalized his divorce in early 2023 and has since positioned himself as a vocal and often aggressive critic of the president. His campaign announcement leaned heavily into that message, with Conway posting a video on X featuring footage from Jan. 6 and language portraying Trump as a criminal figure.
“We have a demented, criminal president running the country like a mob operation—government by the boss, for the boss,” Conway wrote. He said the country needs “Democratic fighters” to defend the rule of law and urged supporters to join his campaign.
The race is already drawing national attention, despite the district being solidly Democratic. Nadler’s retirement and the district’s Manhattan location have turned the primary into a high-profile contest featuring a number of well-known names. Conway is joining a field that includes Jack Schlossberg, the grandson of former President John F. Kennedy; Parkland activist Cameron Kasky; and New York Assemblyman Alex Bores.
Conway previously aligned himself with the anti-Trump Lincoln Project, a group made up largely of disaffected Republicans. He later supported the group’s closure after allegations emerged in 2021 accusing co-founder John Weaver of sexual harassment involving minors. Conway publicly demanded accountability, calling for an investigation and for the organization to waive non-disclosure agreements and “come clean.” He left the group in 2020, citing family reasons, while saying he would continue to support its mission.
According to reporting, Conway now rents an apartment in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood. In an interview, he said he no longer believes it is sufficient to criticize politics from the sidelines, claiming that “everything is at stake,” including democracy, the rule of law and constitutional government.
Conway previously worked in New York City but had been living in the Washington, D.C., suburbs in recent years. His return to New York politics comes as he embraces a fully Democratic identity, a shift that has not gone unnoticed by conservative critics.
In October, Conway drew attention after a photo of him wearing an “I am Antifa” T-shirt at a “No Kings” rally went viral. The image was shared by conservative influencer Benny Johnson, prompting Conway to respond dismissively, saying he did not see the photo as a “gotcha.”
Some conservatives argue the primary is shaping up to be a competition over who can be the loudest Trump critic. Columnist Karol Markowicz mocked the dynamic, suggesting the race will devolve into a contest of online outrage and anti-Trump signaling. Political consultant Chapin D. Fay echoed that sentiment, saying Conway’s campaign reflects a personality defined almost entirely by hostility toward Trump.
With multiple high-profile candidates and a reliably blue electorate, the race is expected to become one of the most watched Democratic primaries in the country — driven less by policy differences than by escalating rhetoric and opposition to the president.
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