Maloney, Lawler race sees national attention, money, flow into 17th Congressional District
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The race to represent the 17th Congressional District has turned national, as national Republican super PACs have poured millions into Assemblyman Mike Lawler’s bid to oust one of the GOP’s top targets: Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, who chairs the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
The DCCC, meanwhile, has responded with a $600,000 media buy to shore up the campaign of the five-term incumbent fighting for his political life in New York City’s northern suburbs.
Republicans have made it a competitive race by painting a view of suburban life that includes crime rampant and inflation depleting bank accounts. It's the message shared by gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin in his bid to oust Gov. Kathy Hochul. They've tied Maloney to the state's bail reform, based on a statement he made favoring reforms in 2018 when he lost a bid for the Democratic nomination for state attorney general.
Democrats have portrayed Lawler as a loyal follower of former President Donald Trump, who opposes elective abortion rights. They say Lawler has mischaracterized Maloney's role in the bail issue because he lost his bid for attorney general and never served in the state Legislature, which approved the reforms that Maloney did not write.
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So it goes in the new 17th Congressional District, which includes Rockland and Putnam counties, Westchester north of I-287 and three towns in southeast Dutchess. The voting precincts in the new district gave Democrat Joe Biden a 10-percentage point win in 2020 presidential election.
National political superstars have descended on the Hudson Valley to help raise cash in the campaign’s final two weeks.
On Sunday, First Lady Jill Biden will appear at a Westchester fundraiser for Maloney at a private residence.
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on Tuesday came to the Rockland Country Club in Sparkill for a $150-a-plate breakfast while House Whip Steve Scalise, R-Louisiana, will headline a Lawler fundraiser in Wesley Hills on Thursday. Earlier this fall, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-California, appeared on Lawler’s behalf at a fundraiser in Rye.
At stake is control of the U.S. House, where the Democrats hold a narrow majority, and midterm elections traditionally favoring the party that’s out of power.
The amount spent on the race skyrocketed in recent weeks, with the investment of an estimated $7 million from the National Republican Campaign Committee and the Congressional Leadership Fund.
Maloney has raised close to $5 million while Lawler’s fundraising has yet to top $1 million, according to Sept. 30 campaign finance reports.
The national media has arrived as well, with national television film crews and political reporters showing up Wednesday morning at The Bristal, an assisted living complex in an Armonk office park. There, Maloney showcased Democrat-backed policies to a roomful of senior citizens. He touted the Inflation Reduction Act, which lowered Medicare premiums, capped annual prescription drug costs at $2,000 a year, and empowered the federal government to negotiate drug prices for its Medicare program.
“We are going to finally take on these big drug companies and negotiate prices,” Maloney said. “These savings are really going to add up because right now, the big drug companies have been getting away with murder.”
Federal bill for state issue
Following the breakfast in Sparkill on Tuesday, Lawler spoke with the press on what he sees as the failure of New York state to curb crime in the wake of the state’s bail reforms, which included fewer crimes requiring those charged to post money to keep themselves out of jail before their cases were adjudicated.
Lawler backs a proposed federal law that would allow the federal government to intervene in New York’s criminal justice system. It would waive the state’s immunity from lawsuits filed by crime victims if they were injured by someone who had been charged with a crime but were released without posting ball while they awaited their day in court.
Lawler said the threat of lawsuits would bring the state of New York to its knees, forcing the state Legislature to reform its bail laws to make the “dangerousness” of someone arrested for a crime an allowable consideration when a judge contemplated setting bail. Lawler even wants crime victims to have the opportunty to sue elected officials who favor bail reform.
He said the bill proposed by Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-Staten Island, would bring the power of the federal government into states like New York to pressure the state to repeal its reforms.
“It will force New York state to choose what’s more important: protecting victims or criminals,” said Lawler. “If New York state refuses to protect victims and ensure the safety of its residents, they should be held accountable, and the very politicians who are allowing it − they should be sued.”
Statistics clash with bail rhetoric
Lawler on Tuesday railed against the rise in crime, citing statistics from New York City, which lies outside of the 17th Congressional District. He said crime statistics show increases in murder, car thefts, and robberies in the city.
“Since cashless bail took effect on Jan. 1, 2020, index crimes in New York City are up 36%, and 40% of those released on non-monetary bail for felony offenses have been rearrested,” he said. “It has been one disastrous policy decision after the next.”
As for the 17th Congressional District, Lawler said: “We’ve seen an uptick in the number of murders. We’ve seen an uptick in the number of car thefts. We’ve seen an uptick in the number of drugs and gang activity coming into our communities.”
It’s unclear where Lawler obtained his crime data.
State crime statistics for the four suburban counties in his district − Westchester, Rockland, Putnam and Dutchess − show an overall decline in crime from 2020 to 2021, according to the state Department of Criminal Justice Services.
In these four counties, Index crime − which includes both violent and property crimes − fell 11%, from 17,128 to 15,276, the state report found. Index crimes are eight crimes that all jurisdictions report under federal crime-reporting standards.
In 2021, murders in these four Hudson Valley counties were down 35%, from 42 in 2020 to 27 in 2021. Car thefts across the four counties dipped 6%, while property crimes fell 12%.
Tax Watch asked Lawler’s campaign if it had statistics to buttress Lawler’s claims that crime was on the rise in the suburbs. Spokesperson Bill O’Reilly said he would research the issue but did not provide any statistics.
Maloney acknowledged he knows some suburbanites visiting New York City who tell him they feel less safe, noting the rise in homelessness on city streets.
“None of us is saying that we don’t have to worry about crime or a rise in crime in the city,” said Maloney. “But look, Lawler is trying to exploit the issue and whip up concerns to win an election.”
Soon it will be up to voters, with early voting starting Saturday, and Election Day on Nov. 8. The nation will be watching.
Follow David McKay Wilson on Twitter @davidmckay415.
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This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Maloney, Lawler target of Republican, Democrat national attention
