Republican Representative Mike Lawler of New York is a prime target for national Democrats in this fall's midterm elections.

But on Monday, Lawler received the support of Rep. Jared Golden, a retiring moderate Democrat from Maine.

Golden defied his party for the third time in recent weeks, claiming in an opinion piece that Lawler is the precise type of Republican that Democrats ought to be striving to retain.

"In this world, we have actual enemies who are not fellow citizens. Golden stated in The Journal News, "It is radical talk, and it is the same politics of fear I have refused to practice for my entire career, when candidates for office tell voters that other Americans and the leaders they elect pose the greatest threat to this country."

One of the few GOP-held seats that Kamala Harris won in the 2024 presidential contest is Lawler's upstate New York district. The contest in the 17th Congressional District of New York is rated as a toss-up by Inside Elections.

In a statement released on Monday, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries denounced the endorsement, claiming that Lawler "is peddling an 11th hour endorsement from a retiring Congressmember who represents an out of town district more than 400 miles away."

The race's outcome won't be altered by this smoke and mirrors ploy. The people of Westchester and the lower Hudson Valley will decide the election, Jeffries added.

Particularly in recent weeks, Golden has become a pain in the neck of his Democratic colleagues. Together with Republicans, he cast two votes to advance procedural motions, which allowed the GOP to compel a vote on a resolution condemning socialism. On the campaign road, the party will probably exploit the legislation against Democrats.

As party members debated whether politicians should be punished for voting with Republicans on procedural votes, Golden's action became a major subject of contention. Democratic leaders have not yet imposed any penalties.

Golden praised Lawler in his opinion piece for working with him on a bill to support lobstermen, even though the Republican from New York didn't really gain much from it.

"In his district, not a single lobster boat exists. He didn't receive any votes or headlines at home. Thousands of fishing families, a historic American business, and the idea that government regulations should be based on facts were all at stake when he signed on. And he recognizes that mom-and-pop stores have existed for decades in every community, not just in Maine, and that their livelihoods form the fundamental basis of our communities," Golden wrote.