In a surprising twist to the race for a prominent congressional seat, Caroline Shinkle, a Republican corporate lawyer and alumna of both MIT and Harvard Law, is throwing her hat into the ring for New York’s District 12. This district, which is deeply rooted in Manhattan, has long been represented by Democrat Jerry Nadler. Shinkle’s entry marks a significant challenge in a field already crowded with Democratic contenders, including Jack Schlossberg, the grandson of President John F. Kennedy and son of Caroline Kennedy.

“I’m in it to win it,” Shinkle, 33, passionately asserted to The Post. “My candidacy is about offering voters a genuine alternative on the ballot. We’re committed to preserving the unique character of Manhattan and New York City.”

Indeed, Shinkle faces an uphill battle in a district known for its liberal leanings. The area stretches across Manhattan’s iconic locales, encompassing the East and West Sides, Times Square, Midtown’s bustling business district, and the culturally rich Museum Mile.

Despite these challenges, Shinkle is optimistic about her chances and is positioning herself as a necessary alternative to the Democratic candidates, who she believes are leaning too far left. “While others focus on ‘The Resistance,’ I will concentrate on delivering tangible results,” she emphasized.

Shinkle’s platform addresses pressing issues such as border security and the undocumented migrant crisis, which she claims has strained New York City’s budget excessively. Additionally, she aims to combat lenient crime policies that she says embolden repeat offenders. She brings a unique combination of “an economist’s precision and a lawyer’s grit” to her campaign, hoping to make a substantial impact in Washington.

“While others focus on ‘The Resistance,’ I will focus on results,” she said. “Whether it is keeping our borders secure to end the undocumented migrant crisis that has strained our city’s budget to the breaking point or ending the soft-on-crime policies that have emboldened repeat offenders, I will bring an economist’s precision and a lawyer’s grit to Washington.”

New York is suffering from “a crisis of competence,” she said — and pointed the finger at the Big Apple’s new mayor, proud democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani.

“We have a mayoral administration captivated by radical ideologies and a congressional delegation focused on obstruction rather than delivery,” Shinkle said. “I am running to be the common-sense antidote to the policies that have made our streets less safe and our city unaffordable for the people who work for a living.”

The Manhattan GOP’s leadership was expected to endorse Shinkle this week, while state Conservative Party chairman Jerry Kassar said his party also plans to back her in the election.

Five other Republicans have submitted paperwork to run in the race, according to federal filings, but it’s unclear if they were mounting serious runs.

Shinkle said she wouldn’t be afraid to shake things up and would push to abolish the federal income tax because “the government has to shrink.”

She also supports exempting student loan repayments from taxes.

Shinkle spent time in Jerusalem working for the Bank of Israel while at MIT, and stressed she’s a staunch supporter of the Jewish states while many Democrats activists and some politicians have turned against America’s chief ally in the Middle East.

“I refuse to be a passive spectator to our city’s decline,” Shinkle said.

Aside from Schlossberg — whom Shinkle crossed paths with in school — other contenders seeking the Democratic nomination for the seat include apparent frontrunner, state Assemblyman Micah Lasher.

Lasher is backed by several local Democratic clubs and elected officials including Nadler — who decided not to seek re-election to the seat. Nadler, 78, was first elected in 1992.

Other candidates include East Side Assemblyman Alex Bores, Trump antagonist George Conway, former WNYC journalist and attorney Jami Floyd, lawyer Patrick Timmons, civil rights attorney Laura Dunn, financier Alan Pardee and LGBT activist Mathew Shurka.