Washington — Rep. Mike Lawler, a New York Republican in a tight race for reelection, apologized for wearing blackface as part of a Michael Jackson costume when he was in college.

The lawmaker apologized for the photo and said he intended the costume to be "the sincerest form of flattery."

Representative Mike Lawler, a Republican locked in a tight race for re-election, dressed as the pop star for Halloween as a college student in 2006.