Mondaire Jones launches campaign to reclaim Hudson Valley congressional seat he once held

Former Rep. Mondaire Jones on Wednesday began his bid to reclaim the Hudson Valley congressional seat that he left in December after redistricting derailed his reelection plans.

Jones, a 36-year-old Democrat who lives in the Westchester County village of Sleepy Hollow, was set to file federal paperwork to formally open his campaign for New York's 17th Congressional District, now represented by Republican Rep. Mike Lawler of Rockland County.

Jones, a Rockland native and attorney who had been working as a CNN political commentator after leaving Congress, is the third Democrat to enter the 2024 race for the Democratic-leaning district. Westchester residents Liz Whitmer Gereghty and MaryAnn Carr also have declared their candidacies for the 17th District seat.

In an interview, Jones said he looked forward to promoting his record from his two years in Congress and showcasing his "broad support" with the district's voters. He said he had "great respect" for his Democratic rivals in the race, but noted that only he has legislative experience to show.

"That voting record is one of pragmatism," Jones said. "It is one of defending democracy and freedoms, creating jobs and cutting costs.”

Gereghty campaign: First Democrat seeking to challenge GOP Rep. Mike Lawler in 2024 is Westchester resident Liz Gereghty

Jones, who grew up in Spring Valley and graduated from Harvard Law School, won the seat in 2020 after first beating seven other Democrats in a primary for what was then a safely Democratic seat. They were vying to succeed Nita Lowey, the Democrat who retired that year after 32 years in office.

What happened in the 2022 race?

The redrawing of New York's House districts last year scrambled Jones' plans for a second term. After fellow Democratic Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney chose to run in the reshaped 17th District, Jones opted out of a primary against Maloney or Rep. Jamaal Bowman of Yonkers and ran instead for an open seat in New York City, coming in third in another crowded primary.

Lawler, then a GOP political consultant and first-term assemblyman, went on to edge out Maloney in November by 1,820 votes in a upset, one of the nation's closest House races.

Exit interview: Mondaire Jones leaving office: What congressman blames for departure, what comes next

Redistricting had made the 17th District more competitive but left a significant Democratic edge: President Joe Biden beat Donald Trump there by 10 percentage points in 2020. That has made the seat a top priority for both parties in 2024, one of a handful in New York that could help determine the next House majority.

“This is a district that Joe Biden won by 10 points," Jones said. "If we are not restoring Democratic leadership to this district, then we are not taking back the House of Representatives.”

Who else plans to run next year?

The first Democrat in the race this year was Whitmer Gereghty, a mother of three and former store owner who launched her campaign in mid-May. She lives in the northern Westchester town of Lewisboro and served for four years on the Katonah-Lewisboro school board, stepping down last month because of her congressional run.

On Monday, Whitmer Gereghty's campaign announced a hefty fundraising haul of $400,000 over the 10 weeks since she entered the race. She has touted endorsements from Emily's List and two other political action committees that raise campaign money for Democratic women candidates.

Carr, a former town official from Bedford, filed papers to run for the 17th District on May 29 and opened a campaign account last month. Carr served a year as town supervisor in 2021 after five years as a councilwoman.

Whichever Democrats join and stay in the race will compete in a primary nearly a year from now, in June 2024. The redrawn 17th District, about 70% of which was in the pre-2022 version, consists of all of Rockland and Putnam counties, the northern half of Westchester, and a sliver of Dutchess.

Charges of extremism on both sides

Jones said in an interview that he plans to campaign on lowering prescription drug costs, protecting abortion rights, defending democracy and supporting law enforcement. He touted his record of voting multiple times to increase funding for law enforcement programs − including a $150 million bump last year for Community Oriented Policing grants − and create new ones.

Lawler's campaign paints Jones in a different light. In a New York Post article last month, a Lawler spokesman accused Jones of holding "far-left views on defunding the police and cashless bail," and called him a "hyper-partisan rubber stamp for his party."

Jones returned fire in an interview, saying Lawler presents himself as moderate but usually votes in tandem with the most extreme members of his party.

"They will try to incite fear of me," he said. "The problem that Mike Lawler and his billionaire donors are going to have is that people in this district know me and my record of pragmatism and of results."

He distinguished himself from more liberal Democrats in several ways. He blasted New York City Mayor Eric Adams for trying to board asylum seekers in Rockland; he supported tightening border security as part of a broader immigration reform; and he supported allowing New York judges to order defendants held on bail if they pose a danger, regardless of the charges.

Chris McKenna covers government and politics for The Journal News and USA Today Network. Reach him at cmckenna@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on New York State Team: Former NY Rep. Mondaire Jones enters race to take on Rep. Mike Lawler