Defeated Republican ‘claims not even Jesus could have won his midterms race’

Defeated Republican ‘claims not even Jesus could have won his midterms race’ Rep. Mike Lawler loses New York’s 17th congressional district to Democrat Cait Conley and argues that not even the son of God could have held on to it - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments Become an Independent member to bookmark this article Already a member? Log in New York Republican Rep. Mike Lawler has claimed that not even Jesus Christ could have won re-election in his district after losing his seat in Tuesday’s disaster for the GOP in the midterms. Lawler, 40, lost his re-election bid to Democrat Cait Conley in the Big Apple’s 17th congressional district, covering the Hudson Valley, picking up 47.8 percent of the vote to her 52.1 percent. He subsequently told CNN reporter Manu Raju that he “ran as good a campaign as he possibly could” but that “the bottom fell out.” Recounting their conversation subsequently on air with anchor Anderson Cooper, Raju added: “And when I asked him more about that, he said, ‘Jesus Christ could have run and would have lost.’” Speaking to his supporters on Tuesday night, announcing his concession to Conley, Lawler said: “When all of the votes are counted tomorrow in Westchester it’s going to be pretty clear we’re going to be short. “I have never been afforded in any of my elections a concession on election night and I fundamentally believe it’s the right thing to do. And so I congratulate Cait on her win and wish her well as our next member of Congress.” Both Lawler and Conley had sought to position themselves as centrist candidates, seeking distance from the more extreme wings of their respective parties as both sought to capitalize on voter dissatisfaction with the state of the economy and the Iran war – a much harder argument for the Republican to make. In Congress, Lawler attempted to strike a more moderate, bipartisan tone than many of his colleagues, signing a Democratic-backed discharge petition to force a vote on legislation to extend expired Affordable Care Act subsidies for another three years. He also supported efforts to lift the cap on state and local tax deductions. However, he is perhaps best known for sparring with House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries – now set to become the first Black speaker in the chamber’s history – in a bitter disagreement over last year’s record-breaking government shutdown, an exchange that went viral. Intriguingly, Lawler was singled out by his former GOP colleague Marjorie Taylor Greene earlier this year as one of a number of Republicans who, she claimed, secretly hates President Donald Trump. Greene told Tucker Carlson on his show: “He hated Donald Trump, made fun of him constantly, mimicked him, making fun of his voice. “He used to attack me, make fun of me, come and find me on the House floor, and make fun of me for supporting Donald Trump, and this was in the four years before Trump got elected as president again in 2024.” After the 45th president became their party’s nominee again, she claimed that Lawler abruptly changed his tune. “I saw this unbelievable change in him,” she told Carlson. “All of a sudden, Mike Lawler – I started joking. I started calling him MAGA Mike Lawler because he was all of a sudden becoming Trump’s biggest supporter.” Responding to Greene’s comments in May, a spokesman quoted Lawler to The Independent as saying: “Marjorie Taylor Greene, AKA Jewish Space Laser Lady, AKA Moscow Marge, AKA one of the dumbest people to ever serve in Congress, has zero credibility on any issue. “Unlike Marjorie, who went from sycophant to psychopath in the span of five years, I’ve always been true to who I am and what I believe... Marjorie can go sit and spin, as she goes down in history as one of the least liked and most ignorant members to ever serve.” Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments