Republican Rep. Michael Lawler of New York was defeated Tuesday by Democratic challenger Cait Conley in a sweeping blue wave, despite strong support from Orthodox Jewish voters across the Hudson Valley’s 17th Congressional District, according to sources.
The two-term lawmaker carried 71% of precincts in the Town of Ramapo, home to a significant Orthodox and Hasidic Jewish population.
But Lawler’s support in traditional Republican strongholds was not enough to overcome the surge of Democratic and anti-Trump voters who backed Conley in the heavily Democratic precincts of Westchester County.
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Lawler led Conley only 55% to 45% — or fewer than 10,000 votes — in Rockland. Conley won the towns of Orangetown, Clarkstown and Haverstraw there, but got swamped in Ramapo.
The incumbent lawmaker also only led Conley in red-leaning Putnam County by 2 percentage points, or about 1,000 votes.
Elijah Reichlin-Melnick, vice chairman and executive director or the Rockland County Democratic Party, said Lawler’s support was down in the county from two years ago — while Conley fared better than Mondaire Jones, the Dem candidate who lost to Lawler in 2024.
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“Lawler knew he needed a firewall of votes in Rockland and Putnam. That firewall simply wasn’t big enough. The numbers were not there for him,” former state Sen. Reichlin-Melnick told The Post on Wednesday.
Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul also won Rockland County by six percentage points over Republican Bruce Blakeman in Tuesday’s gubernatorial contest, according to state Board of Elections records.
In Westchester, early voting results gave Conley, an Army veteran and former Biden administration national security official, a commanding 2-to-1 lead over Lawler — a difference of approximately 25,000 votes.
Conley led Lawler 52% to 47%, with her advantage expected to widen as officials continued counting ballots after a software malfunction disrupted polling operations at several Westchester locations on Election Day.
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Lawler conceded the race Tuesday, acknowledging the results before later releasing a statement thanking his constituents as he prepares to leave Congress at the end of the year.
Conley released a statement of her own Wednesday, saying she was ready to begin work when she takes office on Jan. 1.
“We have a lot to do to root out the corruption that has taken hold in Washington, lower costs for working families, and make our government serve the people once again,” she said.
“From the bottom of my heart, thank you for entrusting me with the privilege of a lifetime. I will never take it for granted, and I promise to fight each and every day for the better, more affordable future we all deserve.”