Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) has endorsed Democrat Micah Lasher in the crowded primary to replace Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY), boosting a longtime ally in one of the party’s most competitive races.

Lasher, a former Hochul policy director and longtime fixture in New York Democratic politics, is seeking the seat in the state’s 12th Congressional District, a deep-blue Manhattan district known for its wealth, donor base, and media influence.