Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., has lost his seat in one of the most expensive and closely watched House races of the 2026 midterms, with the Associated Press projecting late Thursday that Democrat Cait Conley will defeat the two-term incumbent in New York’s 17th Congressional District.
Conley, a military veteran who served as counterterrorism director on the White House National Security Council from 2021 to 2023, spent the remainder of former President Joe Biden’s term as a senior advisor on election security at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
The district, which lies just north of New York City, was carried by Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024 and was rated a toss-up by the Cook Political Report heading into Election Day, while Fox News Power Rankings had it leaning Democrat. Both national parties funneled heavy spending into the contest, treating it as a bellwether in the broader fight for House control.
Lawler spent much of the campaign trying to balance support for President Donald Trump against an effort to brand himself as an independent-minded representative. The race turned bitter over immigration enforcement and tax policy.
Sanctuary Policy at the Center of the Fight
Immigration enforcement, and specifically New York’s sanctuary city laws, became a flashpoint. Among Lawler’s most prominent supporters were the parents of Sheridan Gorman, a college student from his district who was killed in Chicago while out with friends. The man accused of killing her is an illegal immigrant who had been previously arrested for shoplifting but was released without a federal immigration detainer under Chicago’s sanctuary policies.
Lawler and Gorman’s parents pointed to her death as evidence that sanctuary laws, which are also in effect in New York, put Americans at risk. Lawler argued Conley would do nothing to address the consequences of illegal immigration.
Conley condemned Gorman’s killing and said she opposes illegal immigration, but she did not speak out against sanctuary laws specifically during the campaign.
Conley’s win adds another seat to the Democrats’ column as both parties tally results from a midterm cycle in which House control remains closely contested.
