Who are Mike Lawler and Mondaire Jones? Race for NY-17 swing seat

NEW YORK - U.S. Rep. Mike Lawler, a first-term Republican, is locked in a competitive reelection bid against Democratic former U.S. Rep. Mondaire Jones for his congressional seat in New York’s Hudson Valley.

JUMP TO: NY-17 | WHO IS LAWLER? | WHO IS JONES?

Lawler represents New York's newly drawn 17th congressional district, a suburban area north of the city that encompasses parts of Dutchess, Putnam, Rockland and Westchester counties.

Home to quaint artistic enclaves and the Clintons, Democrats outnumber Republicans by 75,000 in the district, yet the race is widely considered a toss-up.

Here's everything to know about the race, and the candidates: Incumbent Mike Lawler and his blackface controversy, and Mondiare Jones and why he lost his U.S. House seat.

Why this race matters

The NY-17 race is one of many in the New York City area that can tip the balance of power in the House to the right or left. 

Eleven districts within a 90-mile drive of Manhattan are expected to be among the country's most closely contested House races on Election Day.

In this deeply purple district, both candidates have geared their strategies toward attracting moderate voters, while criticizing each other as being in league with radicals.

"People are waking up to the fact that even if they don’t believe Mike Lawler is as bad as Marjorie Taylor Greene, they can’t afford to vote for him because he empowers the chaos and the extremism that we are seeing down in Washington," Jones told The Associated Press, referring to the far-right congresswoman from Georgia.

"At the end of the day Mondaire Jones has a long, extreme record," Lawler said during an Oct. 16 debate. "And that's why he's incapable of doing what I've been able to do in this Congress.

Who is Mike Lawler?

Lawler is a first-term U.S. congressional representative, elected in 2022 when he unseated former Democratic Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, who, at the time, chaired the powerful Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

During his first bid, Lawler was a first-term GOP New York State assembly member and cast himself as a bipartisan while emphasizing the politics of bail reform and crime.

Prior, he served as deputy town supervisor in Orangetown, Rockland County, and was a senior advisor to the Westchester County Executive, according to this website.

He grew up in Rockland County and now lives in Pearl River with his wife and daughter.

Lawler's blackface controversy

In early October, the New York Times published photos of Lawler wearing blackface about two decades ago at a college Halloween costume party where he dressed as Michael Jackson.

In a statement provided to The Associated Press, Lawler described himself as a lifelong Jackson superfan who was attempting to pay homage to the pop star.

"When attempting to imitate Michael’s legendary dance moves at a college Halloween party eighteen years ago, the ugly practice of blackface was the furthest thing from my mind. Let me be clear, this is not that," he said, adding that the costume was intended as "a genuine homage to one of my childhood idols."

"I am a student of history and for anyone who takes offense to the photo, I am sorry," Lawler said.

Political positions

Lawler on abortion

Democrats have claimed that Lawler wants to ban abortion, which the Republican denies.

Lawler has stated that he opposes abortion with exceptions for rape, incest and health of the mother but has pledged to vote against a national abortion ban.

Lawler on immigration

Lawler said he does not support mass deportation but has criticized President Joe Biden's administration for their handling of the border crisis. Lawler has supported other measures like extending the border wall and hiring more border personnel.

Who is Mondaire Jones?

Mondaire Jones was elected to Congress in 2020 but lost his seat when the boundaries of his district were redrawn. In 2022, he ran in NY-10, which represents parts of Manhattan and Brooklyn, but lost in the Democratic primary to Rep. Dan Goldman.

When elected, the Democratic congressman was one of the first two openly gay Black men to serve in the House, according to the Associated Press.

Jones was a progressive when he entered politics amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement's response to George Floyd's murder in 2020.

He has attempted to paint himself as more of a moderate candidate in an attempt to appease voters in the 2024 political climate, but his opponent regularly casts him as a radical, linking him to the defend the police movement. 

Before serving in Congress, Jones worked as a litigator in the Westchester County Attorney’s Office. He was "raised in Section 8 housing in Spring Valley by a single mom who struggled with mental illness," according to his campaign website.

Political positions

Jones on abortion

Jones has made restoring abortion rights a central campaign issue, blasting his opponent for supporting the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. He supports codifying reproductive rights into law.

Jones on Immigration

Jones has cast himself as a proponent of border security and said he supports the bipartisan border bill killed by Senate Republicans earlier this year after Trump called it "meaningless."

Jones on the economy 

Jones told City & State he wants an economy that "works for everyday people and not just for the super-rich."

He also believes misinformation about the economy is rampant: "The economy is now in an upward swing," he said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.