GOP congressman picks up 20 union nods as labor holds key in election battle for NY swing seat

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 representin...