Michael Vincent Lawler (born September 9, 1986) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for New York's 17th congressional district since 2023.

[1] Lawler earned his Bachelor of Science degree in accounting and finance from Manhattan College in 2009 and was named valedictorian of his graduating class.

[7] Lawler was elected to the New York State Assembly in 2020 for a two-year term, defeating Democratic incumbent Ellen Jaffee.

He narrowly defeated Democratic incumbent and DCCC chair Sean Patrick Maloney in the November general election.

[10][11][12] On November 5, 2024, Lawler was re-elected to the United States House of Representatives in the 17th Congressional district of New York, besting his opponent, Democratic nominee Mondaire Jones, by approximately seven percentage points.

[14] On October 3, 2024, The New York Times discovered resurfaced photos of Lawler wearing a Michael Jackson costume that included blackface in 2006 at a Manhattan College Halloween party.

In response, Lawler said that his costume was intended to be "truly the sincerest form of flattery, a genuine homage to my musical hero since I was a little kid trying to moonwalk through my mom's kitchen.

[15] On January 4, 2023, Lawler called then-newly sworn Representative George Santos's conduct "embarrassing and unbecoming" and "certainly a distraction".

[19] Afterward, he gave his first House speech, in favor of a bill that would defund the IRS of the money allocated in the Inflation Reduction Act.