Rep. Mike Lawler (D-N.Y.) is expected to win his first re-election bid in the suburban 17th Congressional District.
He defeated former Rep. Mondaire Jones of New York, according to the Associated Press, delivering a long-awaited victory for House Republican leaders as they seek to maintain narrow control of half the chamber. . The race begins after 5 a.m. ET on Wednesday.
Throughout his first term, Lawler established a reputation as one of the more moderate House Republicans, frequently working across the aisle. He ranked fourth among bipartisan members in the Lugar Center and Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy's annual index.
Before coming to Congress, he was a longtime Republican operative and served in the New York State Assembly.
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The race between Rep. Mike Lawler (right) and former Rep. Mondaire Jones (left) was expected to be one of the closest in the country. (Getty Images)
New York's 17th Congressional District is just north of New York City and is one of several areas represented by House Republicans won by President Biden in 2020.
But fears about crime caused by New York City's progressive criminal justice policies sparked a backlash in the suburbs, which was key to House Republicans controlling half of the Legislature.
Meanwhile, in this election campaign, Jones has gone from being a progressive lawmaker who previously supported the idea of ”defunding the police” to a moderate candidate who criticizes fellow Democrats for criticizing Israel. evolved into.
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Lawler won for the first time in 2022 in one of several districts represented by Republicans that President Biden won overwhelmingly in 2020. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Earlier this year, when the New York Democratic Party endorsed a more moderate primary challenger from the “Squad” Democratic Party, it infuriated progressive allies, including the campaign arm of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and withdrew its endorsement.
While Jones voiced support for longtime Westchester County official George Latimer, U.S. Rep. Jamal Bowman (D.Y.) criticized Israel's response to the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack. reprimanded. Mr. Latimer ultimately defeated Mr. Bowman in the primary and won the safe blue seat.
But that wasn't enough to win back his old home in the New York City suburbs.
Jones represented the 17th Congressional District under its previous boundaries from 2021 to 2023.
Jones' centrist race also included support for “Squad” Rep. Jamal Bowman (D.N.Y.). (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
After that, even though Jones was forced out due to redistricting, he ended up running against former Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney (D.N.Y.), who had moved from the 18th District. The move was controversial given Maloney's role as election commission chair.
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Jones did not challenge Maloney, but ran in the more urban 10th Congressional District in the 2022 Democratic primary, where he lost to New York Rep. Dan Goldman.
Mr. Maloney ultimately lost re-election to Mr. Lawler by a narrow margin.
