Mike Sacks Becomes Newest Entrant to NY-17 Race

Mike Sacks, an Emmy-winning former journalist, has officially launched his campaign for New York's 17th Congressional District. He aims to unseat Republican incumbent Mike Lawler and win the seat back for the Democrats.

Before entering politics, Sacks built a 15-year career in journalism. His experience includes serving as the Supreme Court Correspondent for the Huffington Post, working as a political reporter at Fox 5-NY, and acting as a National Political Correspondent for Scripps-owned news stations across the country. He holds a Juris Doctor degree from Georgetown Law and a Bachelor of Arts from Duke University.

Sacks, a single father raising his two sons in Croton-on-Hudson where he has lived since 2018, introduced his campaign with blunt language. In an announcement video featuring clips of Rep. Lawler appearing to imitate former President Donald Trump, Sacks declared he was running to "unfuck our country."

He also took direct aim at his potential opponent, accusing Lawler of "playing moderate up here, while voting MAGA down there" in Washington D.C.

Sacks is now the fourth Democrat to enter the primary race for NY-17. The district is considered one of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's (DCCC) top targets nationwide for the upcoming 2026 election cycle.

While Rep. Lawler won re-election last year with 52.2% of the vote against his Democratic challenger's 45.9% – a seemingly comfortable margin – the district's political landscape is complex.

Notably, Vice President Kamala Harris won NY-17 in the last presidential election, showing that voters in the area are willing to split their tickets. This suggests that in a potentially challenging year for the GOP, NY-17 could become a highly competitive seat for Democrats.

NY-17 is one of the Key Races across New York that the Tammany Times will be tracking closely right up until Election Day. Make sure you are subscribed for all of the latest updates on this developing contest.