Rep Mike Lawler Admits To Drunk Driving Arrest: ‘Certainly Not My Proudest Moment’

Interesting alcohol, drunk driving, midterms, mike lawler, new york admin July 19, 2026 0 Comments

Rep Mike Lawler Admits To Drunk Driving Arrest: ‘Certainly Not My Proudest Moment’

Republican New York Rep. Mike Lawler admitted to a previous drunk driving arrest in an interview with News 12 posted Wednesday.

The clip is an excerpt from an unreleased interview in which Lawler explains the situation and says he was “deeply disappointed in myself.”

“I was going to see friends in the city and ultimately went down to the city and proceeded to drink, and ultimately made a decision to drive home,” Lawler said. “It was certainly not my proudest moment.” (RELATED: GOP Rep Moves To Block Feds From Using Surveillance Data Without Warrant)

Lawler said that he was also disappointed that he had let his father down — a “recovering alcoholic” who had been sober for nearly 20 years before his death, according to the lawmaker.

“It really made me sad that I had done that and disappointed him, especially in that moment.”

The clip ends with Lawler saying he was grateful nobody was hurt and that “it certainly taught me a valuable lesson.”

In September, the representative worked alongside Democratic Michigan Representative Debbie Dingell to urge implementation of the HALT Drunk Driving Law, which requires new motor vehicles to come with anti-drunk-driving technology that would prevent a driver from operating a vehicle if they are illegally impaired, according to a statement from Lawler’s office.

“Drunk driving is one of the leading killers on American roads, with deaths up 22% since 2019, and someone is harmed by it every 85 seconds,” Lawler said in a separate statement. “By incentivizing the auto industry to install life-saving anti-drunk driving technology and strengthening traffic safety enforcement, this legislation directly confronts a public safety threat that has taken far too many lives.”

Lawler was given the “Legislative Hero Award” by Mothers Against Drunk Driving in 2024, where he added, “Nothing is more important than the safety of our residents, and that will continue to be my highest priority.”

Lawler is currently in a competitive reelection campaign in New York’s 17th congressional district. The lawmaker has also pushed back against the Trump administration over its termination of the temporary protected status of Haitian health care workers.

The full interview, which is expected to provide more details, will air on News 12 Wednesday night.

Lawler’s office did not respond to the Daily Caller’s request for comment.