"We're not going to agree on everything," Lawler said.
Lawler's opponent is Democrat Mondaire Jones, who once held the seat. Re-districting resulted in a failed run in a Brooklyn district. Now he's trying to unseat the incumbent in suburbs that have become decidedly more purple.
"I'm really proud to be running to represent again the community that raised me, that elevated me from poverty all the way to the halls of Congress," Jones said.
Jones has tried to paint Lawler as an extremist who's aligned with Donald Trump while claiming to be a moderate.
"All of the chaos, extremism and incompetence that we are seeing down in Washington under this MAGA Republican majority is because he empowers that," Jones said.
Mike Lawler, Mondaire Jones make final push in fight for NY's 17th district
The Lawler camp portrays Jones as a squad-like progressive who was ineffective while in office.
The 17th Congressional District has far more registered Democrats. Joe Biden won by 10 points, but a smaller margin of victory by Kamala Harris benefits Lawler.
Recently Lawler apologized for dressing in blackface while in college as a tribute to his favorite singer Michael Jackson.
Jones apologized for a comment that suggested he called Governor Kathy Hochul the "b" word.
Two years ago, NY-17 was decided by 1,800 votes. 2024 could be another nail-biter.
WATCH: Bill Ritter and the Eyewitness News team with our Vote 2024 Election Guide.
For more information about what's on the ballot in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, please check our Voter Guide.
For election updates, please visit abc7ny.com/vote2024.
* Get Eyewitness News Delivered
* Follow us on YouTube
* More local news
* Send us a news tip
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts