Former Rep. Mondaire Jones clears primary field in key House race

Driving the news: In a statement on Wednesday morning, Gereghty — the sister of Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer — said she is endorsing Jones for the seat, situated in New York City suburbs of Westchester and Rockland counties.

• “Uniting our party and focusing our resources on taking back the House is critical to fighting back against the radical extremism plaguing our politics,” she said.
• Jones, in a corresponding statement, thanked Gereghty for “throwing her full support behind my effort to defeat Mike Lawler, retake the House majority, and save American democracy from the threats posed by MAGA extremism.”

The backdrop: Jones represented much of the district last Congress, but opted to run for a district in New York City after redistricting placed him and then-Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chair Sean Patrick Maloney under the same lines.

• Lawler narrowly beat Maloney as part of a regional red wave in which Republicans swept most of the competitive seats in New York. Jones lost his primary.
• The district voted for President Biden by double digits in 2020 and is a top target for Democrats this cycle.