The Insurgent: A Leading 'Never Trump' Republican Runs for Congress—as a Democrat

George Conway, a conservative lawyer whose public feud with Donald Trump made him a leading figure in the 'Never Trump' movement, on Monday filed to run for a New York congressional seat as a Democrat. He is vying for the Manhattan-based seat being vacated by Rep. Jerry Nadler, who announced in September he would not seek reelection.

Speculation about Conway's candidacy began to surface last month, particularly after he confirmed he had hired a Democratic pollster to weigh his chances in the increasingly crowded primary.

Conway was previously married to Kellyanne Conway, who managed Trump's successful 2016 presidential campaign and later served as a senior White House counselor. Though George Conway was also offered a position in the administration, he declined, pivoting to become one of the president's most relentless and high-profile conservative critics. He went on to co-found The Lincoln Project, a PAC of former Republicans dedicated to defeating Trump.

Conway's path, however, is far from clear. He joins a packed primary race with at least nine hopefuls. The field includes Jack Schlossberg, the only grandson of President John F. Kennedy; Cameron Kasky, an organizer for the March for Our Lives; and New York Assemblymen Alex Bores and Micah Lasher.

Shortly after Conway filed his paperwork, one competitor, Councilmember Erik Bottcher, announced he was ending his congressional campaign to run for the New York State Senate instead, slightly thinning the crowded field.

Conway’s bid is more than a personal campaign; it’s a high-stakes test for the political future of the 'Never Trump' movement. The central question is whether a conservative critic of Trump can find a home, and electoral success, within the Democratic party's progressive base. His performance in the primary will serve as a key indicator of how American political identities are—or aren't—realigning in the post-Trump era.