NY-17: Democrats slam New York Republican for utility ties amid energy affordability worries

ALBANY, New York — National Democrats are lambasting swing district Republican Rep. Mike Lawler for purportedly being beholden to utilities as they beat the affordability drum.

The crux of the attack on Lawler is twofold: He’s gotten more campaign contributions from utility interests than other battleground candidates since July, and he lobbied for a utility-aligned group before being elected to the state Assembly in 2020.

“Voters deserve to know whether Mike Lawler is working for them or for the utility executives padding his campaign account,” said Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesperson Riya Vashi.

The effort to link Lawler to utilities reflects a national reckoning over rising energy costs — and the associated blame game as both energy companies and politicians seek to pin down a culprit and proffer solutions to assuage voter concerns. It’s a key piece of the broader affordability debate that will be crucial to determining the outcome of the looming midterm elections.



https://www.politico.com/news/2026/03/01/democrats-new-york-republicans-utility-energy-affordability-00804175