Republican congress member Mike Lawler says he won’t run for New York governor

NEW YORK AP U S Rep Mike Lawler a moderate Republican representing a suburban New York swing district declared Wednesday he won t run for governor next year Lawler had been viewed as a potentially strong challenger to Democratic Gov Kathy Hochul But another prominent House Republican Rep Elise Stefanik also has been eying a candidacy She commented in a announcement Wednesday she ll decide after this November s electoral contest Lawler a second-term Congress member from the Hudson Valley north of New York City weighed his options as President Donald Trump and his fellow Republicans strive to retain control of the House in next year s midterm elections Lawler notified the Fox and Friends morning show that running for reelection to the House was the right thing to do for me and my family and my district Keeping the House majority is critical if we are going to continue to move this market system in the right direction he revealed Lawler s seat has been a crucial swing district in contemporary elections He noted Wednesday that he s one of limited Republicans who won a seat in a district Democratic presidential nominee and former Vice President Kamala Harris won last year Lawler is now coming off a triumphant fight to raise the federal income tax deduction for state and local taxes a major pocketbook issue in New York and selected other places primarily on the East and West coasts Trump s big tax and spending act which he signed into law this month quadruples the cap on state and local deductions to for the next five years It had been capped at as part of Trump s first-term tax overhaul Lawler held a series of sometimes raucous town halls in his district over the spring at a time when Republicans were being advised to skip the forums that were drawing angry questions about President Donald Trump s agenda Trump in May endorsed Lawler for reelection in the th Congressional District calling him a Strong Champion and Highly Effective Representative in a post on his Truth Social platform Hochul a former lieutenant governor assumed the top office in after predecessor Andrew Cuomo resigned Hochul then was elected in She also faces a challenge from her own lieutenant governor Antonio Delgado amid a feud between the two Democrats Lawler arrived in the House after defeating former U S Rep Mondaire Jones a Democrat who previously represented part of the district During that campaign The New York Times obtained a photo of Lawler wearing blackface in at a college Halloween party where he dressed as singer Michael Jackson Lawler explained the outfit was intended to be an homage to a childhood idol Source