New York Republican Mike Lawler faces a difficult re-election fight this fall, defending one of five GOP-held House districts that Kamala Harris carried in 2024.
With a little more than a month remaining before early voting begins in New York, Lawler received a notable boost Monday from a departing Democratic colleague: Maine Rep. Jared Golden.
In an op-ed published Monday by Lawler’s hometown newspaper, The Journal News, Golden highlighted the Republican’s record of working across party lines.
“Mike Lawler has been a true partner to me and a friend to fishing families he will never represent,” Golden wrote. “I strongly back him, and I hope voters send him back to work. Wherever you live, find the members who pass laws with the other party, and keep them.”
One Democrat, speaking to The Washington Sun, said, “I don’t think Lawler’s beatable,” while arguing that Democratic spending on Lawler’s challenger, Cait Conley, might be more effective in less expensive races.
Despite the competitive nature of his district, Lawler has aligned himself closely with Donald Trump. That loyalty was rewarded earlier this month when he received a prime-time speaking slot on the main stage at the Republican Midterm Convention in Dallas.
Trump appeared alongside Lawler at a May campaign event and praised his bipartisan record. Lawler, in turn, has spoken proudly of his working relationship with the president.
Earlier this summer, Lawler acknowledged that he had been arrested for driving while intoxicated more than 12 years ago. The incident had remained undisclosed for years before he first addressed it with a group of high school students and later discussed it with News 12, a local New York outlet.
Mike Lawler, a New York Republican, speaks on stage on the second day of the 2026 Republican National Convention at the American Airlines Center on September 10, 2026 in Dallas, Texas
Maine Democrat Jared Golden, who is not seeking re-election, endorsed Lawler in an op-ed released Monday
New details released last week, however, offered a more serious account of Lawler’s conduct during the incident.
A police report reviewed by Our News Outlet said Lawler was traveling 74 mph in a 55 mph zone, following another vehicle too closely, crossing hazard markings multiple times, changing lanes unsafely and failing to signal during several lane changes.
The report also recorded Lawler’s blood-alcohol level at .14, nearly twice New York’s legal limit of .08.
Conley has not made the DWI arrest a central focus of her campaign against Lawler.
The Cook Political Report rates Lawler’s southern New York seat, which covers the lower Hudson Valley, as a “toss-up.” He won his most recent race in 2024 with 52.1% of the vote.
Golden is not the only Democrat to make a high-profile endorsement across party lines in recent weeks.
Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. John Fetterman made a surprise video appearance at the Republican midterm convention in Dallas earlier this month.
When Republican Sen. Dave McCormick, Fetterman’s fellow Pennsylvanian, took the stage, Fetterman delivered an enthusiastic introduction for his friend.
“I have this opportunity to introduce this great American, a great senator, and yes, he’s in a different party. But I’m proud to count him as my great friend,” Fetterman said.
Fetterman also briefly referenced President Donald Trump, gesturing toward the “iconic US Steel Mill” visible behind him. He said McCormick would “work with President Trump to fight and defend the steel way of life right here in the Steel Valley.”
Among Democrats, the reaction to Fetterman’s flirtation with mutiny was fiercer than to Golden’s this week.
