Latest news with #R-N.Y.
NBC News
11 hours ago
- Politics
- NBC News
Meet the Press NOW — July 23
President Donald Trump urges Republican lawmakers to repeat baseless claims about former President Obama and the 2016 election if they are asked about the Epstein files. Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) joins Meet the Press NOW to discuss his decision to run for reelection, ending speculation that he would run for governor of New York. Scott Smith, general manager of Allegheny Mountain Radio Station explains the challenges local TV and radio stations are facing after Congress clawed back $1.1 billion for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Epoch Times
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Epoch Times
Rep. Mike Lawler Rules Out Run for NY Governor, Will Seek Reelection
The second-term congressman, who represents a swing district in the Hudson Valley, said, 'Keeping the House majority is critical.' Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington on May 15, 2025. Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington on May 15, 2025. Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch Times Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) has announced he will seek reelection and will not challenge New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, in 2026. The Republican represents a suburban area of New York City in District 17, and has been viewed as a strong potential challenger to Hochul. However, another House Republican, Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), has also reportedly been considering a gubernatorial run. Lawler made the announcement in a July 23 post on X , saying that it was the 'greatest honor' of his life to serve the Hudson Valley, and while he thinks Hochul 'must be defeated,' he would not be the one taking her on. Story continues below advertisement 'Under Kathy Hochul, New York has the highest taxes, the worst business climate, and leads the nation in outmigration,' Lawler said, adding that she 'must be defeated in 2026.' The Epoch Times has reached out to Hochul's office for a comment. Lawler is serving his second term in Congress in an area that has been seen as a swing district for recent elections. During a July 23 interview on 'Fox and Friends,' the lawmaker said that running for reelection to the House was 'the right thing to do for me and my family and my district.' 'Keeping the House majority is critical if we are going to continue to move this economy in the right direction,' he said, noting that he is one of just a few Republicans who won a House seat in an area that former Vice President Kamala Harris won in the presidential election last year. Story continues below advertisement The New York Republican was endorsed for reelection to the House by President Donald Trump in May. In a post on Truth Social, Trump called him 'a Strong Champion and Highly Effective Representative.' Hochul took the governor's position in 2021, after former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo resigned. She previously served as the lieutenant governor and was elected for a full gubernatorial term in 2022. She already faces a 2026 primary challenge from her lieutenant governor, Antonio Delgado. The two have been in a simmering feud since earlier this year. Story continues below advertisement The lieutenant governor was appointed by Hochul in 2022 after her previous lieutenant governor, Brian Benjamin, was indicted for bribery and other offenses early in 2022. When Delgado announced in February of this year that he would not run alongside Hochul for the upcoming term, he said that New Yorkers deserve 'more leaders in government willing to hold themselves accountable to the people—and only to the people.' Hochul's office responded, saying, 'Today, Antonio Delgado finally said out loud what has been obvious for quite some time: he is simply not interested in doing the job,' but that they wished 'him the best in his future endeavors.'
The Hill
14-07-2025
- Business
- The Hill
Stefanik's latest fundraising haul breaks record for NY Republicans
Rep. Elise Stefanik's (R-N.Y.) campaign announced on Monday she raked in $4 million in the second quarter of the year, leaving her with $11 million cash on hand, breaking multiple records. Stefanik's cash on hand total is the largest for a New York Republican ever, according to her campaign. Additionally, the haul is the largest off-year quarter haul for a Republican in the state. Sources told The Hill last month that Stefanik is preparing to launch her campaign for governor, challenging incumbent Gov. Kathy Hochul (D). Hochul's political operation announced on Monday the governor raised over $11.8 million during the first half of 2025. Over $4 million of the haul will go to Hochul's reelection campaign and over $7 million will go to the New York State Democratic Committee, according to a campaign aide. Hochul ends the period with $17.5 million cash on hand. Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) is also considering a challenge against Hochul, while Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman has also been floated as a potential candidate. A Siena College poll released last month showed Hochul leading Stefanik, Lawler, and Blakeman by at least 20 points, respectively. The same poll showed Hochul with a 50 percent job approval rating and 45 percent disapproval rating. However, 55 percent of New York voters polled said they wanted 'someone else,' while 37 percent said they were ready to reelect Hochul.
The Hill
13-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Lawler says he'll meet with Trump soon to talk about potential run for NY governor
Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) said on Sunday he plans to speak soon with President Trump to discuss a path forward as he considers whether to launch a bid for governor in New York. Entering the state-wide race would likely pit him against Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), who is gearing up to launch her own campaign against New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D). But, in an interview on NewsNation's 'The Hill Sunday,' the swing-district Republican said he has no interest in a contested primary challenge. 'I'm going to be meeting with the President at some point soon and have a conversation about the path forward,' Lawler said in the interview. 'But one way or the other, we need to have a united front — whether it's me, whether it's Elise Stefanik — we need to be focused on defeating Kathy Hochul. Any effort, time or money wasted in a primary is money, time and effort not spent defeating Kathy Hochul next year,' he continued. President Trump in May endorsed Lawler's reelection campaign for the House, a move seen as a potential indicator of support for Stefanik. Lawler acknowledged the importance of his seat for retaining the House majority, but made clear he was not ready to set aside all ambitions for statewide office. 'I understand how important my seat is, obviously, to keeping control of the House,' he said. 'I'm one of only three Republicans representing a district that Harris won, and we have to hold the House.' 'But I also understand how important it is to have a real leader in New York,' he continued. 'Kathy Hochul is the most feckless, incompetent governor in the nation. She has run the state into the ground.'
The Hill
07-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Lawler mocks potential Maloney comeback campaign
After a report that former Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney is considering challenging Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) in the midterms, the Hudson Valley representative sarcastically weighed in on the prospect of a rematch with the man he unseated four years ago. 'I'm sure Democrats are excited about the prospects of Sean Patrick Maloney making a come back — because it worked out so well the last time,' Lawler wrote on X. Maloney served five terms in Congress before being unseated by Lawler in an expensive 2022 race. His loss for the 17th Congressional District seat was all the more stunning because he was the head of the campaign arm for House Democrats at the time. Axios reported Monday that Maloney is weighing whether to challenge Lawler, but would likely not make a decision until the fall. He is also reportedly considering a run for governor. In his post about Maloney, Lawler included a video edit of him posing with Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) set to the Dr. Dre song 'The Next Episode,' wearing meme sunglasses and a gold chain. At least six Democrats are already vying for the seat, seen by many in the party as a prime pickup opportunity for the 2026 midterms. NY-17 is one of three GOP-represented districts that voted for former Vice President Harris for president. Republicans will seek to defend their 220-212 majority, which allowed them to muscle the 'big, beautiful bill' through Congress and to President Trump's desk. Democrats, meanwhile, are hoping that opposition to Trump and backlash to the bill's cuts to social services and tax breaks favoring the rich will enable them to flip key districts.
