Add The New York Post on Google Republican Rep. Mike Lawler has collected 20 union endorsements in his dogged election race against Democrat Cait Conley — as labor is viewed as key to winning in one of the state’s last swing districts.
Lawler, a two-term Congress member, and military veteran Conley are jockeying for support in the 17th congressional district, where a whopping one-third of residents live in a union household.
But the question is whether unions will actually put their muscle behind the endorsements to help turn the support into votes, said Joshua Freeman, a labor historian and professor emeritus at the CUNY Graduate Center.
“It’s not so simple, Freeman said. “It depends on what actions the unions takes. A union can help mobilize members to vote for a candidate with phone banks,” Freeman said.
The 17th District, which includes Rockland County and portions of Westchester, Putnam, and Dutchess counties, is a target to flip for Democrats as they fight to regain control of the House in November’s midterm elections.
The seat has the potential to determine which party controls Congress heading into 2027.
Army vet Conley boasts the backing of the 2.5 million New York State AFL-CIO, New York State United Teachers, health care workers union 1199 SEIU, Civil Service Employees Association, Communication Workers of America, Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, and Theatrical Stage Employees Local One.
But Lawler announced that 20 unions are backing his tough re-election bid, including many AFL-CIO affiliates breaking away from the umbrella group’s endorsement of Conley.
They include the Transport Workers Union, Teamsters locals, a network of construction trade unions and maritime workers.
The Lawler camp said he has the support of more unions than two years ago. Politico Playbook recently reported that the House representative had netted 17 labor endorsements during his 2024 campaign.
“I’m deeply honored to have the endorsements of a broad coalition of labor unions representing the men and women who build our roads and buildings, deliver our packages, run our trains, crew our ships, move our mail, keep our communities safe, and keep the government running,” Lawler said.
“I’ll never stop fighting for the workers who are the backbone of the Hudson Valley economy, and I’ll work every day to keep their support and their respect.”
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Many unions lean toward Democrats, but union leaders backing Lawler said he’s been pro-labor.
“We endorsed Lawler because he has a 90% voting record with us,” said TWU International President John Samuelsen. “We have a history of supporting incumbents who have a strong record with us.”
The TWU represents airline, railroad and transit workers in the region.
“Lawler has whipped Republican votes for us on surface transportation bills and we have a relationship with him,” Samuelsen said.
Other transportation-related unions have endorsed Lawler, including the New York Teamsters Joint Council, Teamsters Local 456, SMART Transportation Division, and the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen (BRS).
Sean O’Brien, president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, will soon come to the district to stump with Lawler, his campaign said.
Lawler also has the formal endorsements of 11 law enforcement unions and other police organizations covering state and local police departments.
Conley’s campaign said the unions endorsing her represent a majority of labor households in the district, and claimed that Lawler has an anti-labor record — pointing to his 23 lifetime score with the AFL-CIO on labor issues taking anti-labor positions on more than a dozen bills.
“Whether he’s voting to allow Donald Trump to strip unions of their tax-free status and make it easier for him to overturn worker protections or he’s refusing to co-sponsor the PRO Act to defend the right to organize, Mike Lawler is no friend to organized labor and working families,” said Conley spokesperson Maddy Rosen.
“It’s no wonder he has a 23% lifetime score from the AFL-CIO, who is backing Cait Conley in this race. From healthcare workers to teachers to retail workers and more, Cait is proud to be supported by so many hardworking men and women, whom she will fight for every day in Congress.”
