Mike Lawler’s Midterm Fight in Liberal New York

U.S. Rep. Mike Lawler, a Republican representing a Hudson Valley district that leans heavily Democratic, is facing a highly competitive race in the 2024 midterm elections. Lawler, who first won the seat in 2022 by defeating former Democratic leader Sean Patrick Maloney, now contends with Democratic challenger Cait Conley, a decorated combat veteran and former National Security Council counter-terrorism director. Both candidates are positioning themselves as moderates in a district where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans.

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Lawler’s 2022 victory was aided by a court-ordered redistricting map that reshaped the district after a failed state-led plan. He subsequently expanded his margin by beating former Rep. Mondaire Jones in the next cycle, a year that also saw the district support former Vice President Kamala Harris over Donald Trump. The district’s shifting lines and suburban concerns over crime, cost of living, and immigration have made it a national target for Democratic campaign spending groups this fall.

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• Mike Lawler — Republican U.S. Representative, former aide to former Rep. Maloney, emphasizes a “moderate” voice in Washington.

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• Cait Conley — Democratic challenger, Harvard- and MIT-educated combat veteran, former NSC counter-terrorism director under President Joe Biden, markets herself as a pro-military moderate.

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• Frank Zambrano — 70-year-old retired fire marshal from Rockland County, voiced frustration with Democratic policies.

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• Francine Goldstein – 67-year-old retiree who greeted Conley at a local festival, expressed desire to flip Congress.

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Lawler told reporters that he can support President Trump on issues where they align but will publicly dissent when he disagrees, noting his bipartisan effort to extend Temporary Protected Status for Haitian immigrants, a group he says is vital to local healthcare. On campaign strategy, Lawler said the district’s voters are “sick of status-quo politicians” and that the upcoming election will be unlike any typical midterm. Conley has sought to distance herself from progressive labels, stating she does not support defunding the police and does not use the term “genocide” regarding Israel’s actions in Gaza, focusing instead on economic concerns and alleged corruption in the Trump administration.

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• “Democrats, to me, have gone crazy,” — Frank Zambrano, retired fire marshal

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• “We need to flip this Congress and fight the corruption,” — Francine Goldstein, retiree

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• “Everybody who thinks they know what’s going to happen in November I think is fooling themselves,” — S. Rep. Mike Lawler, spokesperson

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