Pro-Israel Republican Rep. Mike Lawler concedes to Democratic challenger Cait Conley in NYC

Lawler, a former state assemblyman, has worked tirelessly during two terms on Capitol Hill to build his brand as the quintessential suburban moderate Republican.

Republican Rep. Mike Lawler was unseated Tuesday by Democratic challenger Cait Conley in the closely watched NY-17 race after counting delays caused by malfunctioning voting machines in Westchester County.

Lawler conceded defeat after Conley build a lead of about 9% at 11 p.m. Tuesday night in the latest results from NY-17.

Election officials were tabulating up to 250,000 uncounted ballots from the suburban swing county that were brought to county election offices after polls closed at 9 p.m.

Westchester County, which is a Democratic stronghold, accounts for about 40% of the NY-17 electorate, meaning the outstanding ballots could significantly shift the results released so far from other counties, which are more GOP-leaning.

US President Donald Trump jumped into the race Tuesday afternoon, praising Lawler and hailing the district’s large community of hassidic Jews, who were expected to vote as a bloc for the Republican.“The eyes of the nation are on New York again,” Trump wrote on his social media site.

The race between Lawler, who is running for a third term, and Conley was considered a virtual toss up by pundits.

The Metro-North suburban race loomed as one of the national marquee matchups of the midterms, in large part because Lawler is one of just three Republican lawmakers to win in 2024 in districts that also voted against Trump.

Lawler builds brand as moderate Republican

Lawler, a former state assemblyman, has worked tirelessly during two terms on Capitol Hill to build his brand as the quintessential suburban moderate Republican.

A sharp-elbowed and eloquent orator, he portrayed himself as a dogged advocate for the district, even if it means occasionally crossing Trump.

Lawler, 40, was perhaps the most outspoken voice to raise the $10,000 cap on the SALT deduction, which allows taxpayers to write off state and local taxes on their federal returns.

He has occasionally spoken out against Trump policies like the revocation of Temporary Protected Status for Haitian immigrants, of which there is a large community in the district, and strong support for Ukraine’s war against Russian invaders.

He also rallied strong support in the district’s large Jewish community with his outspoken support for Israel and attacks on critics of Israel like NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

Conley claims Lawler covering for Trump MAGA agenda

But Lawler has never come close to truly breaking with Trump and has been a strong supporter of the Iran war, giving ammunition to Conley’s claims that he is effectively a fig leaf for the White House’s right-wing MAGA agenda.

The daughter of a local construction worker and a postal worker, Conley, 40, mirrors the profile of a new crop of successful Democratic leaders with blue collar and military backgrounds, like Rep. Pat Ryan (D-New York).

She told voters a powerful story of her decision to enlist in the armed forces on the day after the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, when she was a teenager.

But Lawler trashed her as a lightweight and a carpetbagger who actually lives in Virginia.