GOP spending $1 million to topple DCCC chair Sean Patrick Maloney

The House GOP’s political action committee is spending $1 million in TV ads to help Republican state Assemblyman Mike Lawler defeat Democratic Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney in New York’s 17th Congressional District.

Maloney is chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the fundraising arm for House Democrats.

Lawler, an assemblyman representing Rockland County, is hoping a red wave will aid his bid to topple Maloney, who is running for a sixth term in the Hudson Valley.

The newly drawn 17th CD takes in parts of Westchester County, all of Rockland and Putnam counties and parts of Dutchess County.

Maloney has a fundraising advantage, so the $1 million outlay from House GOP’s Congressional Leadership Fund was welcomed by Lawler Monday.

The Democratic incumbent had $2.4 million in cash on hand compared to $435,588 for Lawler, according to campaign reports filed with the Federal Elections Commission.

“This investment from the Congressional Leadership Fund confirms that this is a real race. They’re seeing what we’re saying. This is a wave election year and time to put this seat into play,” Lawler said.

“Inflation, taxes, crimes. One party rule does not work,” added Lawler, rapping Maloney’s voting record for President Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s agenda.

A recent poll conducted by Lawler’s campaign showed him up 46% to 44% over Maloney — a statistical dead heat.

It’s the first time the GOP’s Congressional Leadership Fund has spent money in the 17th CD, indicating Republicans consider it a potential pickup.

The CLF announced Monday that it’s spending a total of $37 million in new ads covering 20 House races nationwide — including $1 million in the 17th CD.

The Republican Super Pac also is spending an additional $1.2 million in New York’s 19th Congressional District to aid GOP candidate Marc Molinaro.

“There is incredible energy behind the fight to elect a new Republican Majority and it only continues to grow by the day,” said CLF President Dan Conston.

“Republicans are in a great position to win the House and we’re adding more firepower to the arsenal we need to make it a reality.”

Maloney’s campaign claimed that Lawler is too far to the right for the district and outside Republican money won’t bail him out.

“CLF is desperate and panicking after seeing a top recruit go down in NY-19 over their anti-choice positions. Unfortunately for them, no amount of dark money spending can change the fact that Mike Lawler is a radical MAGA Republican who supports taking away women’s reproductive rights and undermining commonsense laws that would protect our kids from gun violence,” said Maloney campaign spokeswoman Mia Ehrenberg.

She was referring to Democrat Pat Ryan’s victory over Republican Molinaro in the August 23 special election to temporarily fill the seat vacated by former Democratic Rep. Antonio Delgado, after Gov. Kathy Hochul appointed him lieutenant governor.

“Those extreme and backwards positions are why Lawler will lose in November, regardless of how much money special interests want to burn in the 17th,” the Maloney rep said.

Maloney easily beat back a Democratic primary challenge from state Sen. Alessandra Biaggi last week.