A sister of Michigan Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer is running for Congress in New York’s 17th Congressional District, and across the second quarter of this year, that contender — Liz Whitmer Gereghty — raised nearly half a million dollars, which is an impressive amount for someone running in just one House district.
As summarized in a bio provided on her campaign website, Whitmer Gereghty’s recent work has included time on the Katonah-Lewisboro School Board, where she’s had a large budget to help administer. In that bio, her campaign also focuses on an interest in bridging partisan divides. It’s the same kind of thing Colorado Democrat Adam Frisch keeps discussing amid his campaign to unseat Lauren Boebert from her spot in Congress. Frisch finished very close behind Boebert in the 2022 elections. Though they’re often grouped ideologically, the home districts from which Boebert and Marjorie Taylor Greene hail are actually very different. Colorado’s third, where Boebert is based, only went to Trump by single digits in 2020.
As for the 17th district in New York, it’s currently represented by first-term Republican Mike Lawler, who defeated Sean Patrick Maloney in the 2022 elections to help provide the House GOP with its slim majority. The results in 2022 make it abundantly clear that Whitmer Gereghty would have a solid shot, as Lawler’s leading margin over Maloney was less than a percentage point. Maloney is a now former chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, an official Democratic Party organization that helps handle Congressional races.
Mondaire Jones, who previously represented the 17th district in New York, is actually also now running for another term in the seat, so he and Whitmer Gereghty will be facing each other in the primary. The latter reported her fundraising in the second quarter to have reached over $400,000 in just ten weeks. “Grateful to be wrapping up the 1st quarter of our campaign raising over $400k in just 10 weeks & securing huge endorsements along the way,” the candidate posted on Twitter. “All I can say is, thank you! Humbled doesn’t begin to cover it. We’re ready & the message is clear, #NY17 is ready for new leadership.”
Grateful to be wrapping up the 1st quarter of our campaign raising over $400k in just 10 weeks & securing huge endorsements along the way. All I can say is, thank you! Humbled doesn’t begin to cover it.
We’re ready & the message is clear, #NY17 is ready for new leadership. pic.twitter.com/5QlEsxq8Zv
— Liz Whitmer Gereghty (@LizforNY) July 3, 2023
