George Conway, whose mother is a Filipino immigrant, is running in N.Y.’s 12th District

By Cristina DC Pastor

George Conway, the son of a Filipino immigrant who worked as an organic chemist and an American defense contractor, has announced his candidacy for New York’s 12th Congressional District. He is looking to succeed Representative Jerry Nadler, who is retiring.

“I’m running for Congress in NY-12, my home,” Conway said in a Facebook post. “We have a demented, criminal president running the country like a mob operation—government by the boss, for the boss. We need Democratic fighters who will defend the rule of law and deliver government by the people.”

Once a Republican, Conway is now running as a Democrat in a district widely regarded as strongly Democratic.

While many in New York’s Filipino American community know only sketchy details about Conway’s background, they are familiar with his outspoken criticism of the President.

A prominent lawyer, Conway was previously married to Kellyanne Conway, who served as campaign manager for Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and later as a senior counselor in the White House. Over the years, Conway has become one of Trump’s most vocal conservative critics. He left the Republican Party and co-founded the Lincoln Project, a group formed by anti-Trump Republicans aiming to defeat Trump at the polls. He has also donated to Democratic causes, including the Biden Victory Fund.

Conway has continued to denounce the administration, citing what he describes as “skyrocketing grocery prices, millions losing health care coverage, breaking international law, masked agents snatching people from the streets, the Department of Justice prosecuting political opponents, pardons handed out to the rich, the connected, and the loyal, and more.”

Though now firmly aligned with the Democratic Party, Conway remains known for his conservative legal philosophy, particularly on constitutional issues. Earlier in Trump’s presidency, he had been considered for high-level positions in the Justice Department, including Solicitor General, but ultimately declined. The reasons behind his eventual break with Trump have never been fully detailed publicly.

Politics is never a straight line. Conway is expected to face a primary challenge from Jack Schlossberg, a social media commentator who is also the grandson of former President John F. Kennedy. Schlossberg may lack Conway’s legal and political experience, but his youth, likeability and being a Kennedy could make him a strong contender.

While Conway’s political positions are well documented, Schlossberg’s policy views remain less defined and are likely to take clearer shape as the campaign progresses. So far, his commentary has focused heavily on personalities, including the Vice President and his cousin, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

One FilAm voter in District 12 summed up his choice this way: “What I know is Conway is a brilliant FilAm lawyer who was married to Kellyanne Conway, who served in Trump’s first administration. He was for Trump and then became anti-Trump. My choices are him and Jack Schlossberg.”