Recent polls showed NY Representative Mike Lawler (R-NY 17TH) holding a respectable lead over current Governor Kathy Hochul if he decided to run for her office in 2026. However, Lawler dropped a bombshell announcement this week that he will stay in the US House of Representatives, which would seem to open the door for fellow New York Representative Elise Stefanik to challenge Hochul instead. Reports said that Lawler fell on his sword for the good of the party after a phone call from President Donald Trump reminded him of the need to preserve the GOP’s slender lead in the House, but speaking on 710 WOR’s Mendte in the Morning program, Lawler said the decision to stay in Washington was decided upon by one person- himself.
As Lawler told host Larry Mendte, “Well, this is something I’ve been mulling over for six months or so and really put a lot of thought into it. I went through a very unemotional process, if you will, much more data-driven and weighing a number of factors, including the fact that I love what I’m doing. You know, serving in Congress is not only a great honor, but you’re dealing with so many national issues and issues impacting the country… So, as I weighed all the different factors and considerations, including how important my seat is to maintaining the House Republican majority, I made the determination that at this moment, this is the right decision for me, for my family, for my district and I think for our country.”
Lawler says there was no phone call with Trump, and no consideration of Elise Stefanik running for Governor as payback for passing up the UN Ambassador’s position: “First of all, I met with the President in person for about an hour in the Oval Office. Second of all, Elise [Stefanik] has no bearing on this. This really boils down to my own consideration. The President certainly expressed his perspective how important the House majority is, but ultimately this was my decision… I’m 38 years old; there’s a long road ahead and I’m a big believer life works out the way it’s supposed to and whatever the future holds, it holds.”
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