Lawler is a Republican running in his first term in a hotly contested congressional race in New York's Hudson Valley, a district that President Joe Biden won in 2020 and is one of about two dozen seats up for control next year the US House of Representatives will decide.

In the photos obtained by the Times, Lawler, who is white, is seen wearing a black shirt and red jacket, his face is dark, and he appears to be dancing like Michael Jackson.

Lawler has repeatedly spoken about his Jackson fan base. In a statement to USA TODAY, he apologized and said the costume was “the sincerest form of flattery, a true tribute to my musical hero since I was a young child trying to walk through my mother's kitchen.”