Top House Democrat Maloney concedes defeat to GOP challenger

New York Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, the Democrat in charge of preserving his party's House majority, conceded defeat Wednesday morning to Republican challenger Mike Lawler.

Shortly before noon, the Associated Press still had not declared a winner. But with 98% of the ballots counted, Lawler had 50.6% of the vote, compared to 49.4% for Maloney.

The loss for Maloney, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, is a tough defeat for Democrats, considering they lost a top member in a new but solid-Democrat district after pouring millions into the race.

Earlier this year, after New York’s redrawn House district lines were finally settled, Maloney announced he would run in the state's 17th Congressional District, in the lower Hudson Valley, drawing criticism from the party's left. 

Joe Biden would have won the district by 10 points had it been created before he ran for president in 2020, according to CNN.

Republicans reportedly spent roughly $1.4 million to oust Maloney, compared to the roughly $2.3 million Democrats spent to get him reelected. 

The majority of the money did not arrive until the closing weeks of the race.

Democrat super PACs and similar groups poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into the final two weeks of the race, in a last-minute attempt to win, according to NBC News.

New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, a member of GOP House leadership, congratulated Lawler on his win. 

"Mike’s victory just sent SHOCKWAVES across the country as he FIRED failed DCCC Chair Sean Patrick Maloney!!" she tweeted.