House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries criticized Rep. Jared Golden for endorsing Republican candidate Mike Lawler in a New York congressional race crucial to Democrats' efforts to gain control of Congress. In response, Golden defended his endorsement by highlighting Lawler's bipartisan record and the need for voters to support representatives who work across party lines. The dispute underscores internal Democratic Party divisions as they prepare for November elections.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-22,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Rep. Jared Golden, a Democratic congressman from Maine set to retire, unexpectedly endorsed Republican Mike Lawler, a representative from New York's Hudson Valley, for re-election in an ultra-competitive race that could influence the balance of power in the House. Writing in his hometown paper The Journal News, Golden praised Lawler as a "true partner" who works across party lines on issues like protecting fishing jobs threatened by new regulations. This endorsement came despite criticism from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a Democrat from New York, who called Lawler a "partisan hack and Trump sycophant." The race is considered crucial as it falls in one of five GOP-held districts won by Democrats in the 2024 presidential election.
Written for “House Democrat Endorses Republican” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 4 other(s) covering the same event.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., is harshly dismissing a fellow Democrat who publicly undermined his quest to win the majority in Congress — on the left-wing leader's own home turf.
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who → dismiss → turf
Jeffries hit back at Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, in a statement to Fox News Digital on Tuesday after Golden endorsed Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., a moderate Republican, for re-election in November.
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Golden → hit → November
"Mike Lawler is a partisan hack and Trump sycophant who Cait Conley will defeat in November.
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Conley → defeat → November
In desperation, he is peddling an 11th-hour endorsement from a retiring congressmember who represents an out-of-town district more than 400 miles away," Jeffries said.
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Jeffries → peddle → district
"This smoke-and-mirrors ploy will do nothing to change the outcome of the race.
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ploy → do → race
The election will be decided by the people of Westchester and the lower Hudson Valley."
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election → decide → Westchester
Jeffries claimed Lawler had "never shown bipartisan courage when it matters" while lauding his Democrat opponent as a "combat veteran and patriot."
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it → claim → veteran
"Mike Lawler can try to run from his extremist record.
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Lawler → try → record
We will never let him hide," he said.
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he → let → ?
But Golden, who has broken from Jeffries multiple times in the past, argued Lawler was among the most bipartisan members of Congress.
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Lawler → break → Congress
"I know how bipartisan Mike Lawler really is.
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Lawler → know → ?
I know something about what that takes.
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that → know → what
I held the most challenging district of any Democrat in the country by earning the trust of Democrats, independents, and Republicans alike," Golden wrote.
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Golden → hold → Democrats
"Lawler holds one of just three Republican seats in the country that Kamala Harris carried in 2024.
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Harris → hold → 2024
Representing districts like ours forces you to work for people who disagree with you, and it teaches you that those people are not your enemies.
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people → represent → you
He pointed out that the nonpartisan Lugar Bipartisanship Index ranked Lawler the fourth-most bipartisan member of Congress in its most recent analysis.
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Index → point → analysis
"I am leaving Congress in January by my own choice, but I have not given up on the institution, and voters should not either.
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voters → leave → institution
The Congress we get is the one we elect, and the country needs fewer members who treat the job as a stage and more who treat it as work.
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who → get → work
In New York's Hudson Valley this fall, that is the choice on the ballot," Golden wrote.
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Golden → write → ballot
Lawler thanked Golden for the endorsement in his own public statement.
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Lawler → thank → statement
"While we are from different parties and different states, Jared and I have worked during our time together in the House to find common ground on issues that matter both to us and our constituents," he wrote on X. "We share a firm belief that what’s best for the people should come before one’s party, and that if more members on both sides of the aisle took that approach more often, the country would be better off for it.
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country → work → it
"
Lawler is facing long odds of winning a third term in Congress, with most projections favoring Democrats in his district in the New York City suburbs.
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projections → face → suburbs
But Lawler has defied political gravity before, including most recently in November 2024 when his victory split the ticket with ex-Vice President Kamala Harris.
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victory → defy → Harris
Golden, who is retiring at the end of this year, is known for breaking from his party on a variety of issues.
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who → retire → issues
He was one of the only Democrats to praise President Donald Trump's tariff efforts.
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He → praise → efforts
He also recently made headlines for publicly defying Jeffries by voting with Republicans on a procedural measure called a "rule vote" alongside fellow moderate Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash.
While Republican lawmakers have weaponized rule votes in recent years to extract promises from House GOP leaders, it was almost unheard of for Democrats to defy their leaders like that on the other side of the aisle.
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Democrats → make → aisle
It was especially stunning to see Golden and Perez do so twice within one month — with Jeffries attacking the move as a "breach of trust" the first time.
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Jeffries → see → trust
The Aporia
