First-term Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., is projected to outlive his first re-election bid in his suburban seventeenth Congressional District.
He defeated former Rep. Mondaire Jones, D-N.Y., delivering a much-needed victory for Home GOP leaders as they search to carry onto their razor-thin margin of management over half of Congress, in line with The Related Press, which known as the race after 5 a.m. ET Wednesday.
By way of his first time period, Lawler staked out a status as considered one of Home Republicans’ extra reasonable members, steadily working throughout the aisle. He was ranked the fourth-most bipartisan member within the Lugar Middle and Georgetown College McCourt Faculty of Public Coverage’s annual index.
Earlier than coming to Congress, he was a longtime Republican operative and served within the New York State Meeting.
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Rep. Mike Lawler’s, proper, race in opposition to former Rep. Mondaire Jones, left, was anticipated to be one of many closest within the nation. (Getty Pictures)
New York’s seventeenth District is simply north of New York Metropolis and is considered one of a number of areas represented by Republicans within the Home that President Biden gained in 2020.
However uneasiness over crime, spurred by New York Metropolis’s progressive felony justice insurance policies, led to a suburban backlash that was key to Home Republicans securing management over one half of Congress.
In the meantime, this newest race noticed Jones’ evolution from a progressive lawmaker who as soon as backed calls to “defund the police” right into a extra reasonable candidate calling out fellow Democrats for being vital of Israel.
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Lawler first gained in 2022 in considered one of a number of districts represented by Republicans that President Biden swept in 2020. (AP Photograph/Susan Walsh)
Earlier this yr, the New York Democrat angered his progressive allies, together with the Congressional Progressive Caucus’ marketing campaign arm, which rescinded its endorsements, when he endorsed a “Squad” Democrat’s extra reasonable main challenger.
Jones got here out in help of George Latimer, a longtime Westchester County official, whereas rebuking Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., for his criticism of Israel’s response to the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas assault. Latimer wound up beating Bowman within the main for the protected blue seat.
However that was not sufficient to win again his outdated seat within the New York Metropolis suburbs.
Jones represented the seventeenth Congressional District underneath its earlier boundaries from 2021 by way of 2023.
Jones’ race to the center included an endorsement in opposition to “Squad” Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y. (AP Photograph/Yuki Iwamura)
Redistricting then pitted him in opposition to former Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, D-N.Y., who switched from his 18th District even when it meant forcing Jones out, a controversial transfer given Maloney’s position on the time as chair of the Democratic Congressional Marketing campaign Committee.
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Jones didn’t problem Maloney however ran within the 2022 Democrat main for the extra city tenth Congressional District, the place he misplaced to Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y.
Maloney wound up narrowly shedding re-election to Lawler.
