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

Republican Rep. Mike Lawler of New York lost his seat in the 17th congressional district, which covers the Hudson Valley, as Democrat Cait Conley won with 52.1 percent to his 47.8 percent. The result came on a night of heavy losses for the GOP in the midterms. Lawler conceded on election night, saying he believed that was the right thing to do and wishing Conley well as the district's next member of Congress, according to The Independent.

Lawler told CNN's Manu Raju that he had run as strong a campaign as possible but that support collapsed, adding that even Jesus Christ would have lost. Both candidates had presented themselves as centrists and tried to benefit from voter unhappiness over the economy and the Iran war, an argument that was harder for a Republican to make.

In Congress, Lawler cultivated a bipartisan image. He signed a Democratic-backed petition to force a vote on extending expired Affordable Care Act subsidies for three years and backed lifting the cap on state and local tax deductions. He also drew attention for a viral clash with House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries over last year's government shutdown.

Summarized by PolitiKool from The Independent’s reporting. Read the full story at The Independent →