Progressives Mount Challenge in Southern New York District

By Dr. Julie Martinez Ortega

Sleepy Hollow, New York

This week we turn to New York, where progressives are mounting a strong challenge to unseat several Republican incumbents in toss-ups and seats that lean Democratic. In New York’s 17th congressional district, located in the southern portion of the state, Mondaire Jones is trying to return to Congress. First elected in 2020 to represent NY-17, Jones ran unsuccessfully in the NY-10 Dem primary after redistricting changed the boundaries of the district. He’s now running in the newly configured NY-17 against Republican Mike Lawler. 

The NY-17 is one of the 18 districts nationally that would have voted for Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election had they existed in their current configuration while electing or re-electing a Republican to represent them in Congress. Cook Political Report rates it as a D+3, meaning it leans Democratic. It is 64.4% White, almost 20% Latino, 7% Black and 5% API. The district has a significant Jewish population that includes conservative Hasidic communities in Rockland County. Situated to the north of Manhattan, the district includes all of Rockland and Putnam Counties as well as much of Northern Westchester County.

Who is Mike Lawler? 

NY 17 2022 ELECTION RESULTS

Mike Lawler currently represents the NY-17. A first-term Republican in this seat, Lawler surprised almost everyone by vanquishing Sean Patrick Maloney, a leader within the Democratic Party, in 2022 and flipping the seat from Blue to Red overnight. With 50.29% of the vote (143,550 votes), Lawler won the seat but cannot rest on his laurels going into the November election. Lawler has only four years of experience as an elected official, two in the NY State Assembly and now two in Congress. Before that, he worked as a political consultant and as the executive director of the NY State Republican Party. Since taking office, he’s been prolific on social media and appeared frequently on Fox News. Most recently he introduced a bill to defund public universities that promote antisemitism in reaction to a CUNY Law School commencement speech.

Mondaire Jones back for more

Mondaire Jones is considered a progressive and was one of the first openly gay African Americans elected to Congress. He served one term in Congress before his district was reconfigured, putting him at a great disadvantage despite his incumbency status after fellow Democrat and chair of the DCCC, Sean Patrick Maloney, decided to run in his district. Jones grew up in Nyack, NY, which is within the NY-17. A star student raised by his single mom and grandparents, he attended Stanford and later earned a law degree from Harvard. While in Congress, Jones took progressive positions on key issues, such as supporting the Green New Deal and Medicare For All. In addition to Jones, MaryAnn Carter, a rural Mississippi native and Westchester County IT director and former town supervisor, is running for the Democratic nomination.

While voters in the NY-17 will not choose their Democratic Party nominee until June 25, Jones is well positioned, having raised almost $4 million as of April 2024.

Powerful backing 

Jones has the backing of the formidable Working Families Party, which has a proven track record of electing progressive candidates to office. Unlike in most states, New York allows organizations like WFP to run candidates on the actual ballots as their nominee, which can provide a major boost to candidates who appeal to progressive voters that the group supports. So, in addition to their thousands of “boots on the ground” who carry out its field programs, the WFP endorsement enables the candidates name to be highlighted on the actual ballot on election day.