Congressman Mike Lawler proudly represents New York’s 17th Congressional District, which includes a large swath of the Hudson Valley. The 17th District includes all of Rockland and Putnam Counties, as well as portions of Westchester and Dutchess Counties. In the House, Mike serves on the prestigious House Financial Services Committee and the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
A lifelong New Yorker, Mike grew up in Rockland County, graduated from Suffern High School, and was the Valedictorian of his graduating class at Manhattan College. He currently resides in Pearl River with his wife Doina, a naturalized citizen from Moldova, and their daughters Julianna and Elizabeth.
Mike first won this seat in 2022, becoming the first Republican to defeat a sitting Chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in 40+ years. The 17th District is uniquely competitive, with nearly 80,000 more registered Democrats than Republicans. In 2024, Mike was 1 of only 3 Republicans to win a congressional district that Kamala Harris won. In that race, he outperformed the presidential ballot by nearly 7 points, a testament to his bipartisan, pragmatic approach to governing and his broad appeal among Democrats and Independents.
Consistently rated as one of the most bipartisan and effective Members of Congress by independent, non-partisan observers, Mike has been a strong advocate for working families, seniors, union households, and law enforcement. In Congress, Mike has:
- Championed the Social Security Fairness Act, which restored full retirement benefits to teachers, police officers, firefighters, and other public servants who had been shortchanged for years
- Took on his own party and quadrupled the SALT deduction cap to $40,000, delivering real property and income tax relief to over 90% of Hudson Valley taxpayers
- Exempted 88% of seniors from having to pay income taxes on their Social Security, eliminated taxes on tips and overtime pay, and expanded the Child Tax Credit
- Delivered tens of millions of dollars in federal funding back home for local police departments, roads, schools, and healthcare
- Renewed the Undetectable Firearms Act, making it illegal to manufacture, import, sell, ship, deliver, possess, or transfer any firearm that cannot be detected by standard walk-through metal detectors
- Worked with colleagues in both parties to promote common-sense immigration reform that secures our border, while providing legal pathways to recognition for immigrants who comply with the law and secure employment
Last, but not least, Mike has fought to hold radical politicians in Albany and New York City accountable, so they stop using Hudson Valley taxpayers as their own personal ATM – fighting against congestion pricing, mandated suburban overdevelopment, and cuts to local schools.
Before Congress, Mike served in the New York State Assembly representing the 97th District, where he served on the Committees on Aging, Banks, Education, Housing, and as the Ranking Member on Governmental Operations. In the NYS Assembly, he secured historic funding increases for Hudson Valley schools, delivered tax relief for middle-class families, and fought for law enforcement and first responders. He also served as Deputy Town Supervisor in Orangetown and as a Senior Advisor to the Westchester County Executive.
