Former Rep. Mondaire Jones Wednesday announced he has won the backing of a key Democratic rival in his bid to retake his old Westchester County congressional seat next year.
Jones said the endorsement of local school board member Liz Whitmer Gereghty, which happened just as she announced her campaign’s suspension, means Democrats are coalescing behind him as the best bet to unseat first-term GOP Rep. Mike Lawler.
“I am honored to (have) her full support behind my effort to defeat Mike Lawler, retake the House majority, and save American democracy from the threats posed by MAGA extremism,” Mondaire Jones said
Gereghty, a sister of popular Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, said she is stepping aside to unite Democrats to win the NY-17 district in one of the nation’s most closely watched swing seat races.
“Focusing our resources on taking back the House is critical to fighting back against the radical extremism plaguing our politics,” Gereghty said.
Bedford Town Supervisor MaryAnn Carr is still running in the Democratic primary.
But Jones is now the strong favorite to win the Democratic nomination to take on Lawler, who is considered one of the most vulnerable Republican incumbents in Congress.
Jones, who represented a similar district until 2022, has raised more than $1 million during in his first three months since entering the race, more than his Democratic rivals combined.
He has the backing of Democratic Rep. Pat Ryan, who won a neighboring district in a campaign focusing on abortion rights; former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi; and the Congressional Black Caucus’ political action committee.
Jones, who is gay and African American, became an instant progressive rising star when he won the race to replace retiring Rep. Nita Lowey in 2020.
But he got elbowed aside by ex-Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney in a complicated power play after the state’s congressional districts got reshuffled by a court-ordered redistricting exercise. Maloney ultimately lost the race.
Jones ran for a newly created district in lower Manhattan and Brooklyn, but lost to future Rep. Dan Goldman in a primary, spurring him to return to his political roots.
Lawler praised Gereghty and said her failure to “find traction in today’s Democratic Party speaks volumes.”
The incumbent portrays himself as a prominent moderate voice in a congressional Republican Party increasingly dominated by far right wing supporters of former President Donald Trump.
Lawler hopes to convince independents and moderate voters that he is a better fit than Jones to represent one of the most affluent districts in the nation, which voted for President Biden by about 10%.
Democrats call Lawler a fig leaf for MAGA extremists like House Speaker Mike Johnson and say he opposes abortion rights, a key issue in the suburban seat.