NY-17: Former DCCC chair Sean Patrick Maloney passes on comeback bid

ormer Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney won't seek a rematch against Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) in 2026, he told Axios.

Why it matters: Nearly a dozen former House members are trying to return to Congress this cycle. But Maloney, who explored a comeback over the summer, won't be one of them and has closed his 2026 campaign account.

"I have decided not to run for Congress in 2026," Maloney, who served as former President Biden's Ambassador to the OECD after losing to Lawler in 2022, told Axios.

"There are excellent candidates running and I believe the Congress and our party would benefit from having them in what will be a renewed Democratic majority," he said.





https://www.axios.com/2026/01/06/sean-patrick-maloney-congress-mike-lawler