Republican Rep. Mike Lawler joined "Mornings On 1" on Friday, reflecting on his reelection in a New York district long considered a Democratic stronghold.

Lawler, who received 52.4% of the vote, overcame a strong challenge from Mondaire Jones, who gained 45.6% of the vote, to secure a second term in a district where Democrats outnumber Republicans by nearly 80,000 voters. He attributed his success to high voter turnout in Rockland County.

“I think we saw continued improvement in New York for Republicans,” Lawler said. “Yes, we came up short in three seats, but we held seven. You saw significant movement in New York City and the suburbs towards Donald Trump.”

Despite Republican gains, Democrats were able to flip three House seats in the state, including Josh Riley’s victory over Republican Rep. Marc Molinaro in NY-19, State Sen. John Mannion’s defeat of Rep. Brandon Williams in NY-22 and Laura Gillen’s win against Rep. Anthony D’Esposito in NY-4.

As he returns to Congress, Lawler promised to remain committed to bipartisanship, highlighting his record in Congress.

“I am proud of the work that I did in this Congress. I was rated the fourth most bipartisan member of Congress. I passed 10 bills, five of which were signed into law by President [Joe] Biden,” Lawler said.

He called on Democrats to collaborate with Republicans on shared priorities instead of revisiting old political battles.

“This is a time to find areas of commonality and compromise. The American people spoke very loud and clear on Tuesday night,” Lawler said.

Lawler identified lifting the SALT tax deduction cap and securing the southern border as top priorities for his next term, including tougher measures on deportation.

“You’re not looking to break up families. There needs to be a level of nuance. But people here illegally and committing crimes must be dealt with,” Lawler said.