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Pearl River, NY – 10/16/2024… Tonight, the Lawler for Congress campaign declared victory in the first debate of the 2024 cycle, where Congressman Lawler summarily dispatched opponent Mondaire Jones on the substance of the issues. Mondaire Jones repeatedly attempted to interrupt Congressman Lawler to claim his past statements and votes were “lies” despite Mondaire Jones himself saying he has not changed his policy positions since 2020 on the Brian Lehrer Show on WNYC yesterday.

The Lawler campaign was joined by elected officials, local political activists, small business owners, and moms from across the 17th District in noting Congressman Lawler’s victory in the debate and in calling out Mondaire Jones’ extremism.

“Mike Lawler once again showed Hudson Valley families why he deserves another term with a resounding win in tonight’s debate on News12,” said Chris Russell, spokesman for the Lawler campaign. “He came across as the reasonable, bipartisan member of Congress residents of New York’s 17th Congressional District know him to be.”

“Mondaire Jones, on the other hand, was exactly what you would expect: abrasive, rude, and radical,” concluded Russell. “His refusal to own up to his extreme rhetoric and explain his votes against the Hudson Valley, and against Israel, show just how out-of-touch he is with the residents of the 17th Congressional District.”

“Congressman Mike Lawler made a strong and clear case for why he should continue to represent Hudson Valley families tonight,” said Assemblyman Matt Slater. “His level-headed leadership is what we need in Washington and he showed that time and again on the debate stage.”

“Mike Lawler rightly held Mondaire Jones to task in tonight’s debate, highlighting his radical and dangerous rhetoric about cops, law enforcement, and ICE and Border Patrol agents,” stated Town of Carmel Supervisor and former cop Michael Cazzari. “Mondaire Jones’ strong support for cashless bail, defunding the police, and letting cop-killers and rapists vote from prison tells voters in the 17th District all they need to know about Jones – he’s nuts!”

“Mondaire Jones rejected the chance to say he doesn’t support abortions up until the moment of birth, and said he now supports parental notification in the case of a minor getting an abortion which directly conflicts with his support for Prop 1, which would not require parental notification,” said Mount Pleasant GOP Chairwoman Helen Keating. “Mike Lawler rightly called him out for his lies and flip-flopping on this issue, and is the clear winner of this debate and only choice for those who want a commonsense leader in Congress.”

“Mondaire Jones doubled down on his radical tax-and-spend agenda at tonight’s debate, repeatedly touting legislation that raised government spending by over 5 trillion dollars and lying about his past support for congestion pricing,” stated NY-17 small business owners Tim Hauser, Teyena Cowan, Rob Chiapperino, and Nick Sfraga, all small business owners in the 17th Congressional District. “That spending spree by Mondaire Jones hurt local small businesses and their employees like ours right here in Rockland County and across the Hudson Valley – we must reject extremist Mondaire Jones at the ballot box this November and send commonsense problem solver Mike Lawler back to Congress.”

“For Mondaire Jones to come out in full-throated support of Prop 1, which would unfairly allow biological males to compete in girls sports in high school is alarming and disqualifying,” said Elizabeth Dynan, Gabbi Smith, and Desiree Deems, all moms in the 17th Congressional District. “It rolls back decades of progress for women, and puts girls like our daughters at risk of injury.”

Mondaire Jones’ disastrous debate performance will be sure to raise eyebrows amongst Democrats keenly watching the race for the 17th Congressional District, and may negatively impact outside spending for him in the final weeks of the race.

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