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Representative Mike Lawler, Republican of New York, is contemplating running for governor next year. Beth Davidson, a Democrat, hopes to win his swing seat in the Hudson Valley.
Feb. 18, 2025Updated 8:03 a.m. ET
As he contemplates a run for governor next year, Representative Mike Lawler of New York was already sparring with one potential Democratic opponent, Gov. Kathy Hochul. Now, he is about to get one for his current seat, too.
Beth Davidson, a well-connected Democratic legislator from Rockland County, will become the first serious candidate to jump into the race for Mr. Lawler’s suburban New York City swing seat on Tuesday.
The race in New York’s 17th District, just north of the city, promises to be among the most fiercely and expensively contested in the country in the 2026 midterms. Its outcome will help decide control of the narrowly divided House, and the fate of President Trump’s legislative agenda.
In an interview before her announcement, Ms. Davidson said flatly that her party “missed the mark” in 2024, when Mr. Lawler won the center-left district handily. But she came out swinging against the second-term congressman and the Republicans in control of Washington for what she characterized as prioritizing the needs of the wealthy over Mr. Lawler’s constituents.
She cited the broad portfolio and access given to Elon Musk, whose political action committee spent at least $1.7 million boosting Mr. Lawler’s last campaign, as particularly troubling.
“Right now we are watching an unelected billionaire run roughshod over the Constitution, raid our government and hurt federal workers,” Ms. Davidson said.
