Democrat Mondaire Jones and Republican incumbent Mike Lawler came out swinging at a debate hosted by News 12. Lawler is seeking a second two-year term, while Jones is looking to return to the seat he won in 2020 after redistricting prompted him to launch an unsuccessful run in New York City’s 10th District in 2022.
Out of the gate, Lawler accused Jones of calling all cops “racists” and supporting the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s congestion pricing plan in New York City.
“He shut down his office two months before his term expired, running away to Brooklyn, leaving you in the lurch," said Lawler.
"I never called all cops racist," Jones countered. "I’ve always supported an exemption for the lower Hudson Valley when it comes to congestion pricing, and when I was in Congress I was part of a productive majority that actually delivered for the American people.”
The 17th District — which includes all of Rockland County and parts of Dutchess, Putnam, and Westchester Counties — is one of the most competitive seats up for grabs in November as Democrats look to flip the House. It leans more conservative today than when Jones won in 2020, but polling by Emerson College put him just one percentage point behind Lawler earlier this month. The non-partisan Cook Political Report rates the seat a tossup.
Both men have tried to present themselves as the more moderate candidate. Lawler ranked fourth in a list of most bipartisan House members in 2023, but has long walked a tightrope regarding his support of former President Donald Trump, whom he voted for in April’s GOP primary. Jones frequently accused Lawler of “masquerading as a moderate” and agreeing with Trump on issues like abortion.
“He cheered the overturning of Roe v. Wade. He recently told the 'Journal News' that he’d like to see all abortions eliminated," alleged Jones. "Of course he would be a reliable vote for a national abortion ban, because he is sincerely extreme on this subject and he has never stood up to Donald Trump a day in his life."
Lawler said he would not support a national abortion ban, and he supports abortion in cases of rape, incest, and the health of the mother. Lawler responded by calling Jones an extreme progressive, tying him to a cohort in the House known as “the squad” and targeting him for his support of Proposition One, a ballot measure in New York that would prohibit discrimination based on qualities like age, sexuality, gender identity, and reproductive health outcomes (including abortion).
“He supports abortion up to the moment of birth. He’s opposed to parental notification, and he’s fine with non-doctors performing abortion, which makes abortion less safe," said Lawler.
Lawler is one of multiple Republican candidates who have falsely claimed that Prop One’s protections for transgender individuals would threaten girls’ sports teams or allow children to receive gender-affirming care without their parents’ consent.
Jones was pressed to clarify his comments on the governorship in New York. In a recent story by “The New Yorker,” Jones went on the record saying he’d like a Democratic governor that is a “political animal” like Nancy Pelosi, before using an expletive to describe the opposite. Jones said during the debate that he was not trying to disparage New York Governor Kathy Hochul with his remarks.
“I apologize to the governor for the distraction of this, and she has acknowledged that she doesn’t think I was talking about her," he explained.
Lawler had his own headlines to answer for. A recent “New York Times” story resurfaced photos of him in blackface during a college party in 2006. Lawler, who calls himself a lifelong Michael Jackson fan, said the costume was intended to pay homage to his idol, not insult him.
“Would I do this today? Absolutely not. I recognize why people are offended or upset or hurt," said Lawler. "In no way was I ever dressing up to demean or belittle or make fun of Black Americans.”
Not present at the debate was Anthony Frascone, a Rockland County builder who won a spot on the Working Families Party this summer despite having no visible campaign. Party leadership has decried Frascone as a spoiler candidate trying to sap votes from Jones, and a group of voters sued this month in an attempt to remove Frascone from the ballot. A State Supreme Court judge ruled Monday that the case came too late and did not disqualify Frascone’s candidacy.
Election Day is November 5. Early voting starts Saturday.
