New York Republican congressman Mike Lawler is fighting for re-election in a district won by Democrat Kamala Harris in 2024. He has received a striking endorsement from outgoing Maine Democratic congressman Jared Golden, who praised Lawler's bipartisan approach in a published opinion piece, part of a broader pattern of cross-party endorsements in the 2026 midterm elections. This endorsement is significant because some Democrats believe Lawler is difficult to defeat and that party resources would be better spent on more competitive races.

Lawler's district in the lower Hudson Valley is rated a "toss-up" by the Cook Political Report, though he won 52.1 per cent of the vote in 2024. The race has been complicated by his recent disclosure of a DWI arrest from 12 years ago; police records revealed he was speeding at 74 mph in a 55 mph zone with a blood-alcohol content of 0.14—nearly double the legal limit of 0.08—yet his Democratic opponent Cait Conley has not made this a central campaign issue. Golden is not the only Democrat crossing party lines; Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania similarly endorsed Republican Dave McCormick at the Republican midterm convention.