Outgoing House Democrat backs incumbent Republican lawmaker for re-election

Outgoing Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, has endorsed his colleague Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., for re-election, backing the Republican in an opinion piece ahead of the 2026 midterm election.

"The Congress we get is the one we elect, and the country needs fewer members who treat the job as a stage and more who treat it as work. In New York's Hudson Valley this fall, that is the choice on the ballot. Mike Lawler has been a true partner to me and a friend to fishing families he will never represent," Golden wrote.

"I strongly back him, and I hope voters send him back to work. Wherever you live, find the members who pass laws with the other party, and keep them," the Democrat noted.

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Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, attends a news conference to oppose a "union-busting executive order by President Donald Trump," that eliminated collective bargaining rights for federal workers, in the Capitol Visitor Center on Thursday, July 17, 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Golden, who has served in the House of Representatives since early 2019, announced last last year that he would not run for re-election in 2026.

Lawler, who has served in the House since early 2023, is currently seeking re-election this year.

"It’s an honor and a privilege to accept the endorsement of my friend, Democratic Congressman Jared Golden," Lawler noted in a post on X.

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U.S. Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., takes the stage on the second day of the 2026 Republican National Convention at the American Airlines Center on Sept. 10, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

"While we are from different parties and different states, Jared and I have worked during our time together in the House to find common ground on issues that matter both to us and our constituents. We share a firm belief that what’s best for the people should come before one’s party, and that if more members on both sides of the aisle took that approach more often, the country would be better off for it," the Republican wrote.

Lawler is facing Democratic candidate Cait Conley in the contest to represent New York's 17th Congressional District.

Conley, a combat veteran, has served as the National Security Council director for counterterrorism and has also worked with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.

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Former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg attends a rally for Cait Conley, who is challenging U.S. Representative Mike Lawler to represent New York’s 17th Congressional District, on Sept. 16, 2026 in Tarrytown, N.Y. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

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Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg rallied with Conley last week, and wrote in a post on X that he was "proud to be in Cait’s corner."