AXIOS (Kate Santaliz) - Why House Dems may go easy on one of GOP's most vulnerable members
Rep. Mike Lawler 's (R-N.Y.) fight to hold on to a key battleground seat is getting a behind-the-scenes assist — for now, at least — from an unlikely group: House Democrats. Why it matters: Kamala Harris carried Lawler's district in 2024, but some Democrats are privately wary of spending the small fortune it would take to oust one of the GOP's most bipartisan — and electorally savvy — members. - "If you're going to have a Republican, it's the kind of Republican we want in the Congress," a Democratic source told Axios of Lawler, also noting that the New York City area is the nation's most expensive media market. - A senior House Democrat told Axios: "I don't think Lawler is beatable." State of play: Republicans are outspending…
AI:In a revealing look at the internal calculations of the Democratic Party, reports indicate that some House Democrats may intentionally avoid spending resources to defend New York’s 17th District seat held by Republican Mike Lawler, despite it being a critical battleground for House control. While the GOP is heavily outspending the opposition with millions reserved via the Congressional Leadership Fund and other groups, some Democratic strategists are privately suggesting that Lawler may be unbeatable due to the exorbitant costs of the New York media market and his bipartisan appeal. Although leadership-aligned groups like House Majority PAC claim they will do whatever it takes to elect nominee Cait Conley and oust Lawler, internal…Open