New York Republicans have the best chance ever this year to take down the controversial Chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney.

Maloney’s defeat wouldn’t just add to a (hopefully) Republican majority in Congress next year; it would send shockwaves throughout a Democratic Party that has moved sharply to the woke political left under Maloney and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

At bat for Republicans is Assemblyman Mike Lawler, a successful small businessman and champion of common sense in Albany. Both Maloney and Lawler are facing primaries on Aug. 23, but both are expected to prevail easily.

Recent polling shows Lawler beating Maloney in the general election by a 46-44% margin, despite Maloney’s considerable cash advantage as DCCC chairman. That’s no fluke.

Assemblyman Lawler offers New York voters exactly what they need — a leader who will fight high taxes and crushing inflation costs as well as sound judgment on criminal justice matters.

Rep. Maloney, by contrast, is nowhere to be seen in large swaths of his district. And, as Pelosi’s and President Joe Biden’s biggest cheerleader, he is directly responsible for the ludicrous fiscal policies that have produced the highest inflation rate in more than 40 years (9.2%).

On crime, Maloney is even worse: He recently identified no-cash-bail as his highest priority, while New York communities are terrorized by a growing crime wave created by the foolish Democrat bail “reforms” Maloney backed.

Another message a Lawler victory in November would send: Republicans can win in contested suburbs again, after several challenging years. New York’s 17th Congressional District includes all or parts of four suburban counties immediately north of New York City — Westchester, Rockland, Putnam and Dutchess counties.

These were traditionally Republican areas that had shifted blue in recent decades. Crime, inflation and some of the highest taxes in the nation are changing that. Voters of all parties have had it with the elitist, out-of-touch political class that has made living in New York next to impossible for millions.

Indeed, around a million and a half New Yorkers, and countless businesses, have fled New York for friendlier tax climes over the past dozen years alone.

The bluest part of the 17th district is in Westchester County, which is around 2.5-1 Democrat in registration. But voters there are persuadable, too.

Many Democrats and independents are tired of Maloney’s selfish antics as well, which his primary opponent State Senator Alessandra Biaggi has been eagerly pointing out on the campaign trail.

In 2020, Maloney went to court so he could run for two offices at once, Congress and State Attorney General (he was hammered in the A.G. primary). This year Maloney switched districts to run in the newly drawn 17th, displacing a freshman Democrat he was ostensibly supposed to help re-elect as DCCC chairman.

And just this week, it was revealed that Maloney may have used both campaign and public funds to pay for an aide that did personal tasks for Maloney and his husband while also living with them.

There are lots of races to watch this November, but none as important as the one shaping up in the 17th district. A victory there could be the death-knell of wokeism itself.

Rob Astorino served two terms as Westchester County Executive and was the 2014 Republican candidate for governor of New York State. 

The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation.