George Conway says this race is personal.
“This is my home,” he wrote, announcing his candidacy for Congress in New York’s 12th District.
The son of a Filipino immigrant mother — an organic chemist — and a father who worked as an American defense contractor, Conway is now stepping into the political arena himself. He hopes to succeed Representative Jerry Nadler, who is retiring.
But this is more than a campaign launch.
It’s a declaration.
“We Need Fighters.”
Conway did not soften his words.
“We have a demented, criminal president running the country like a mob operation,” he wrote. “Government by the boss, for the boss.”
He says the country needs Democratic fighters — leaders who will defend the rule of law and protect democracy.
Once a Republican, Conway is now running as a Democrat in a district known to lean heavily blue.
It’s a shift that has defined his political journey.
From Conservative Insider to Trump Critic
Many Filipinos in New York know his name.
They know his face.
They know his voice — especially when he speaks against the President.
Conway was once married to Kellyanne Conway, a key figure in Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign and later a senior White House counselor. At one point, George Conway himself was considered for top Justice Department roles, including Solicitor General.
But he walked away.
Over time, he became one of Trump’s fiercest conservative critics. He left the Republican Party. He co-founded the Lincoln Project — a group of anti-Trump Republicans determined to defeat Trump at the ballot box.
He also donated to Democratic causes, including the Biden Victory Fund.
Politics, for Conway, has never been a straight line.
His Case Against the Administration
Conway continues to speak out.
He points to what he calls skyrocketing grocery prices. Millions losing health care coverage. International law being broken. Masked agents detaining people in the streets. The Justice Department targeting political opponents. Pardons for the rich, the connected, the loyal.
“And more,” he says.
His criticism is sharp. Direct. Relentless.
Yet even as a Democrat, Conway remains rooted in conservative constitutional principles. He is known for his strict interpretation of the law — especially when it comes to executive power.
That tension defines him.
A Kennedy Challenge
But Conway’s path to Congress will not be easy.
He is expected to face a Democratic primary challenge from Jack Schlossberg — grandson of President John F. Kennedy.
Schlossberg may not have Conway’s decades of legal experience. But he carries something powerful: youth, charisma, and the Kennedy name.
For some voters, that matters.
Schlossberg’s policy positions are still taking shape. Much of his public commentary so far has focused on political personalities — including the Vice President and his cousin, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
The contrast is clear.
Conway brings legal muscle and political scars.
Schlossberg brings legacy and fresh energy.
The Filipino American Factor
Within New York’s Filipino American community, Conway’s story carries a different weight.
He is the son of a Filipino immigrant.
A brilliant lawyer.
A man who once stood inside Republican power circles — and then broke away.
One Filipino American voter in District 12 put it plainly:
“What I know is Conway is a brilliant Fil-Am 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.”
Simple.
Two names. Two very different stories.
A Race to Watch
In a district that is already solidly Democratic, the real battle may be within the party itself.
Experience versus legacy.
Reinvention versus inheritance.
And at the center of it all stands George Conway — lawyer, critic, son of a Filipino immigrant — asking voters to trust not just where he started…
But where he stands now.
