House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) unloaded on Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) late Monday after a fellow Democrat, Rep. Jared Golden of Maine, threw his support behind the vulnerable Republican, calling Lawler a “partisan hack and Trump sycophant” who will lose in November.
Golden’s endorsement, published Monday in The Journal News of Rockland County, N.Y., marked a rare cross-party boost for Lawler, one of the most endangered Republicans in the House. Democrats see his Hudson Valley seat as a prime pickup opportunity as they fight to reclaim the majority. But Golden, a centrist known for breaking with his party, argued that Lawler shares that independent streak.
“He would rather pass a bill with the other party than score a point against it,” Golden wrote, citing Lawler’s support for restoring union rights for federal workers after President Trump stripped them, his signing of a discharge petition to extend expired Affordable Care Act subsidies, and his recent partnership with Golden on legislation to protect lobstermen’s livelihoods.
Golden also noted that both he and Lawler represent districts won by the opposing party’s presidential candidate in 2024 — a rare distinction that forces lawmakers to work across the aisle. “Representing districts like ours forces you to work for people who disagree with you, and it teaches you that those people are not your enemies,” Golden wrote. “They are your neighbors.”
Jeffries was having none of it. In a sharply worded statement, he dismissed the endorsement as an “11th hour” stunt from a retiring lawmaker whose district lies more than 400 miles away.
“This smoke and mirrors ploy will do nothing to change the outcome of the race,” Jeffries said, predicting that Lawler’s Democratic challenger, Army veteran Cait Conley, will defeat him.
The minority leader pointed to three votes he said expose Lawler’s true partisan colors: support for the GOP’s “One Big, Beautiful Bill Act,” which extended tax cuts while cutting Medicaid and other low-income benefits; backing for Trump’s war with Iran as voter discontent grows over rising gas prices; and support for the administration’s global tariffs, which have driven up costs on consumer goods.
“Mike Lawler is an unadulterated phony who has never shown bipartisan courage when it matters,” Jeffries said.
The animus between the two New Yorkers is well documented. During last year’s marathon government shutdown, Lawler confronted Jeffries in a Capitol hallway, pressing him to reopen the government by supporting a short-term extension of expiring ObamaCare subsidies — an idea Democrats rejected. The exchange turned personal.
“You’re embarrassing yourself right now,” Jeffries told Lawler, who shot back, “The only embarrassment here is you.”
The episode underscores the high stakes in New York’s 17th District, where Lawler has positioned himself as a bipartisan dealmaker while Democrats try to tie him to Trump. Golden’s endorsement complicates that effort, but Jeffries’ rapid response signals that national Democrats intend to fight fire with fire. As the midterms approach, the race will test whether voters reward cross-party outreach or punish party defectors — and whether Jeffries’ bare-knuckle approach can deliver the majority.
