Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Lawler will not run for governor of New York.
After months of being open that he was considering a bid for the state’s chief executive, the Hudson Valley congressman told Spectrum News Wednesday morning that he will pass on the opportunity and instead seek reelection to his seat in the House of Representatives next year.
“After months of deliberating, I’ve decided the right thing to do for me and my family and my district is to run for reelection,” Lawler told Fox & Friends Wednesday morning.
Lawler cited the thin GOP majority in the House as the main motivator for his decision.
“Keeping the House majority is critical if we’re going to continue to move this economy in the right direction,” he said.
Gov. Kathy Hochul, citing a New York Times article on Lawler’s decision on X, wrote that “This is the same Mike Lawler who caved to Trump the minute he asked to rip away New Yorkers’ health care. Of course he doesn’t have the spine to face me.”
Lawler had been one of the high-profile Republicans eyeing the 2026 race. His New York colleague, Rep. Elise Stefanik, has also been open to considering a run. Two recent Siena College polls had Stefanik leading Lawler among GOP voters, the most recent one by 17 points. Earlier this month, Lawler told Capital Tonight that he, at least at that time, hadn’t had a conversation with Stefanik about the race, but insisted there would not be a primary.
“Mike Lawler is a great, effective, and hardworking Representative for New York’s 17th Congressional District and is committed to protecting the House Republican Majority,” Stefanik said in a statement Wednesday. “As I have previously stated, I am focused on supporting strong Republican local and county candidates on the ballot this November to lay the groundwork with a strong team for next year. I will make a final decision and announcement after this year’s November election which we are all focused on.”
While Lawler’s current political home is in the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Lawler is not a stranger to Albany. He served a single term in the state Assembly from 2021 to 2022.
Lawler represents New York’s 17th Congressional District, which is made up of Westchester, Rockland, Putnam and southern Dutchess counties. He was first elected to that post in 2022 and was reelected easily in 2024.
