Democrats hold a wide registration edge in his district
U.S. Rep. Mike Lawler, considered one of the most vulnerable Republicans in this year’s midterm elections, sat down with the Associated Press in Haverstraw, N.Y., to make his case to New York voters.
The AP notes the same “vulnerable” label followed Lawler into his last campaign, when he ran for the Hudson Valley seat he now holds. The AP describes the district as “lush and leafy” and notes registered Democrats there outnumber Republicans.
In the interview, Lawler tied concerns over cost of living, quality of life, and public safety to Democratic control of the state. “Well, I think one thing to keep in mind is New York is controlled by Democrats,” Lawler told the AP. “Their policies are directly responsible for the high cost of living, the decline in the quality of life, the out-of-control pro-criminal policies that make people less safe. These are their policies.”
The AP reports Lawler is working to harness suburban anxiety over New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and what the AP calls “the surging progressive movement” as he tries to win a district where Democrats outnumber Republicans. Lawler is banking on suburban voters who still want “a rare moderate voice in a polarized Washington” to back him despite the registration gap.
“In fact, he thinks it’s helpful that he’s a Republican in an otherwise liberal state,” the AP reports.
The AP piece was written by Anthony Izaguirre and published Sept. 1, 2026.