Lawler fires back at Stefanik

Politico

04-06-2025

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MAGA WARS: Hudson Valley GOP Rep. Mike Lawler is firing back today at fellow Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik's not-so-subtle dig at him yesterday as the two duke it out while eyeing the GOP nomination for governor.
'You can't win a statewide election in New York just by pounding your chest and saying that you're the most MAGA candidate,' Lawler said this morning during an appearance on conservative radio host Sid Rosenberg's show.
The remark was a reference to Stefanik telling Rosenberg a day earlier that the GOP's gubernatorial candidate should be someone who can energize President Donald Trump's base — a thinly veiled attack against Lawler.
Rosenberg brought Lawler on his show this morning to respond to Stefanik's potential run for governor — a post Lawler has had his eye on since last spring.
Lawler has argued New York Republicans need to win over voters opposed to Trump to be viable statewide. Stefanik has a different perspective.
'I have the strongest relationship with President Trump in the delegation,' she said Tuesday. 'We are going to need those Trump voters, and it needs to be a candidate who excites those voters and is a close ally of President Trump.'
Rosenberg appeared to reference Tuesday's New York Playbook PM — which dove into Stefanik's jab at Lawler — before bringing Lawler onto his show.
'I think Mike Lawler is mad at me because I sent him the POLITICO story yesterday, and all he sent me back was, 'I heard you endorsed her today,' which is not entirely true,' the conservative host said.
Republican Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, who is another potential candidate for governor, also hopped onto Rosenberg's show this morning, where he said Trump will be directly involved in the GOP nomination.
'Donald Trump will have a big, big say as to who is the nominee,' said Blakeman, who's also closely aligned with Trump. 'Because this party, just like the national party, they are Trump. They love Trump. He is the backbone of our base. He will be courted by anybody running for statewide office in New York State.'
'I know personally that President Trump has taken a keen interest in the gubernatorial election,' the county executive added.
Trump having major sway in handpicking the GOP gubernatorial nominee could be bad news for Lawler if he wants to run for governor.
Last month, Trump endorsed Lawler for reelection to Congress, pouring cold water on his gubernatorial bid. Lawler has also made it a point to stand up to the president — which helps him build his desired brand as the Republican who can win over Democrats and independents.
'I stood up against my own party on numerous occasions because it's what's right for New York,' Lawler said this morning. 'Just two weeks ago I stood up — despite being called out by the president in conference on the issue of SALT — and fought back. You have to be able to focus not just on what is right for the base, but what is right for the state.'
POLITICO reported this morning that Stefanik is launching a political action committee that will raise money for local GOP candidates — another indication she's serious about running for governor. The PAC's efforts will help strengthen her standing with Republican leaders influential in determining their party's nominee. She's also contributing to Blakeman's county executive reelection.
'Elise has the capabilities to deliver a message like few can, but you have to be able to pull this together,' Lawler said this morning. 'She said the lines of communications will be open, and interestingly I had an emissary sent to speak to me last night. I'm happy to sit down with any of my colleagues. One thing about me: I'm blunt and direct and I don't mince words.' — Jason Beeferman
NEW YORK MINUTE: It's debate night, and nine Democratic candidates for mayor of New York City will stand on stage together for the first time tonight. The two-hour debate kicks off at 7 p.m., and POLITICO will be streaming the debate online, side-by-side with a liveblog where our team of expert reporters will provide analysis, background — and maybe some jokes.
POLITICO is co-hosting the debate with NBC New York and Telemundo, and our own Sally Goldenberg is serving as one of the moderators. — Jeff Coltin
From the Capitol
JAMES TRIES TO DEFEAT ERA SUIT: An upstate court heard oral arguments this morning in the first significant lawsuit invoking New York's new Equal Rights Amendment.
The person attempting to block the suit? One of the ERA's loudest champions last year — Attorney General Letitia James, whose office told a judge the amendment isn't as impactful as other supporters believe.
Voters approved the ERA in November, adding a list of protected classes such as 'sexual orientation' and 'age' to constitutional language dating back to 1938 that banned discrimination based on 'race, color, creed or religion.'
A pair of Wayne County judges who'll soon be forced to leave office thanks to New York's mandatory retirement age of 70 pointed to the ERA's new language in a suit that challenges these retirement rules.
The state is 'discriminating against [the judges] based solely on their age,' they argued in their lawsuit. That's now constitutionally prohibited, due to the ERA.
James' office is defending the mandatory retirement.
The attorney general's legal brief contends the challenge should be tossed because the courts had found the 1938 language couldn't be used as the sole basis of a lawsuit, and that the new additions to the ERA have not changed that.
Her legal gambit, if successful, could also mean it would be much tougher to use the ERA to challenge laws passed by the Legislature in the future — which was the main reason lawmakers rushed to approve it in the wake of the Supreme Court's 2022 decision on abortion.
Other supporters of the ERA disagree with James' take, pointing to a general reworking of the constitutional section that was designed to make it more impactful.
The amendment should be interpreted to 'guarantee New Yorkers a legally enforceable cause of action to challenge discrimination,' the NYCLU argued in an amicus brief. If not, the much-hyped proposal would be 'an unenforced nullity.'
Critics of the ERA say James' attempt to downplay the new amendment bolsters their arguments that 'it would go places the state could never imagine.'
'This was an amendment with consequences the state never contemplated, and now the state is trying to come up with arguments against it,' Conservative Party Chair Gerard Kassar said. 'It was poorly constructed, and senior government officials like the governor and attorney general just wanted to use it as a political argument.' — Bill Mahoney
From the dairy farms
REVENGE OF THE COWS: Republican lawmakers and dairy farmers are slamming what they call a 'crazy' idea to cap the number of cows allowed on dairy farms. The proposal, advanced by New York City Democrats and environmental groups, would prohibit new permits for dairy farms with more than 700 cows.
'We're going to force these folks out and force those cows to be relocated to other states,' said Republican state Sen. George Borrello, referring to the measure's potential fallout.
Milk is big business in New York, which ranks fifth in the U.S. in production. Dairy is the largest part of the state's agricultural industry too, and the state is supporting new dairy processing facilities.
But dairies have also been going out of business over the past decade, facing rising costs and thin margins. The number of cows in the state, meanwhile, hasn't dropped.
Lawmakers and environmental groups supporting the bill, including Food and Water Watch and Third Act, say they want to protect family farms and the environment.
'These farms, known as CAFOs, prioritize profit over the wellbeing of animals and the health of our environment, cramming thousands of animals into confined spaces,' said Democratic Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal, who's sponsoring the bill.
CAFO stands for concentrated animal feeding operation.
Assemblymember Chris Tague, a Republican from Schoharie, called it the 'most ridiculous bill' he's ever seen. Expanding dairy operations is often the only way for families to keep their operations financially viable, he said.
The measure is also a non-starter for key upstate Democratic lawmakers.
'I am disappointed that a bill like this was introduced without consulting anyone involved in the dairy industry,' said Democratic Assemblymember Donna Lupardo, chair of the agriculture committee. 'These hard-working men and women are some of the best stewards of the land I know.' — Marie J. French
FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL
ANTISEMITIC ATTACKS IMPACT RACE: Two violent anti-Israel attacks — one in Boulder, Colorado and another in Washington — have further inflamed public debate in New York City around antisemitism and have lent urgency to an issue that mayoral hopeful Andrew Cuomo has made a cornerstone of his campaign.
Cuomo, the Democratic primary frontrunner in the race, has presented pro-Palestinian demonstrations as a symbol of disorder in the city that he can fix. And the recent attacks gave the former governor a chance to take an indirect swipe at his opponent Zohran MamdanI and his use of the term 'genocide.'
'The anti-Israel rhetoric of 'genocide,' 'war criminals,' and 'murderers' must stop,' Cuomo posted on X Sunday night, responding to the firebomb attack in Colorado that hospitalized 12 demonstrators who were pushing for the release of Israeli hostages. 'It is spreading like a cancer through the body politic.'
Read more from POLITICO's Jeff Coltin on the attacks highlighting a political vulnerability for Mamdani — who sees his pro-Palestinian positioning as an asset.
DELGADO CAMPAIGN STARTS SPENDIN': Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado may only be two days into his primary run against Gov. Kathy Hochul, but he's already dropping money on digital ads.
A Playbook tipster spotted an ad Tuesday from the Delgado campaign on Facebook, and his campaign confirmed it's part of a digital-only spend.
'70+ town halls, New York, I'm listening to you,' the ad reads in all caps, with a link to Delgado's campaign website.
A Delgado spokesperson refused to say how much money his camp is spending on the ad. — Jason Beeferman
IN OTHER NEWS
— JUMAANE STAFFER'S RESIGNATION: A staffer in the Public Advocate's office alleges a member of Jumaane William's NYPD security detail sprayed her with a dizzying substance at a December office party. (NY1)
— CONEY ISLAND CASINO PICKLE: A Coney Island casino bidder's donation to a pro-Justin Brannan PAC is putting the City Comptroller candidate in hot water. Brannan received support from the Hotel and Gaming Trades Council, but could face casino pushback locally. (Crain's New York Business)
— RANKLY MISLEADING: A top aide on Scott Stringer's campaign sent out misleading text messages to voters instructing them it's 'prohibited' to put 'multiple selections' on their Democratic mayoral primary ballots. (Daily News)
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