Republican Congressman Mike Lawler, one of Washington's most prominent supporters of Israel, lost his House race in New York to Democrat Kate Connolly and conceded defeat. This hands Democrats one of the closest and most expensive races in the country. Lawler, first elected in 2022, was one of the few Republicans representing a district where Kamala Harris won the 2024 presidential election. During the campaign, he tried to position himself as one of Israel's most vocal defenders and a critic of antisemitism in the Democratic Party. Connolly, a former U.S. Army officer who also served on the National Security Council, will replace him in Congress.