Westchester Dems Chair Berger’s Endorsement of Conley Marks a Good Week for Decorated Combat Vet
By Dan Murphy
A new poll showing Democratic Congressional candidate Cait Conley with a 7-point lead in NY-17, combined with an endorsement from Westchester Democratic Party Chair Suzanne Berger and an upcoming $1 Million ad buy from the group VoteVets, completed a great week for the first-time candidate seeking to win the democratic primary in NY-17 on June 23 and then face off against Congressman Mike Lawler in November.
The poll was conducted by Global Strategy Group, and in its memo dated May 26, they write, “New polling from Global Strategy Group shows that decorated combat veteran Cait Conley leads the field in the primary for New York’s 17th Congressional District. Despite being a first-time candidate, the Hudson Valley native Conley already matches or exceeds Rockland legislator Beth Davidson’s ratings in-district and has the highest ceiling for growth as voters learn more.
“Key Findings: Conley holds a 7-point lead over Davidson, with the rest of the field far behind. Conley (29%) leads Beth Davidson (22%), Effie Phillips-Staley (6%), Mike Sacks (4%), and John Cappello (2%), with 38% of voters still undecided.
“Conley’s coalition is ideologically and demographically broad: she leads among liberal and non-liberal Democrats; she also leads among white voters and voters of color, and among voters under 55 and voters 55 and older.
“Conley is already known to nearly half the electorate and is well-liked. Cait Conley is viewed favorably by those who know her (48% familiar, 42% favorable/6% unfavorable), edging out Beth Davidson in favorability (47% familiar, 40% favorable/7% unfavorable).
“Conley is positioned to grow as voters learn more. The data suggests Conley has the greatest room to grow as voters learn more about her. She leads Davidson by 7 points (44% to 37%) among voters familiar with both candidates. And once voters hear balanced, positive introductions to Conley and Davidson, Conley expands her lead to 20 points (44% to 24%). When voters hear more about Conley’s impressive military record and working-class roots in the Hudson Valley, her support grows with liberal and non-liberal voters.”
Conley’s campaign also received a boost when Westchester Democratic Party Chair Suzanne Berger endorsed her for the June 23rd democratic primary. We spoke to Berger about her endorsement and the race this fall in NY-17, perhaps one of the few critical races that democrats need to retake control of the House.
Berger’s endorsement is in her individual capacity; the Westchester Democratic Committee made no endorsement, with members supporting Conley, Rockland County Legislator Beth Davidson, and Tarrytown Trustee Effie Phillips-Staley.
“The most important thing to do is to have a candidate who can beat Mike Lawler in November. In my judgment, Cait Conley is that candidate. She has the smarts and the presence to get that job done, and once elected, she will be a good member of Congress who will represent all the voters in the district,” said Berger.
We discussed with Berger how female Democratic candidates with military experience across the country have been winning. “It’s true, there seems to be a trend of strong women with military backgrounds with success in politics at this time, and I see no reason why it won’t continue here.”
A West Point graduate, Conley served for 16 years as an active-duty Army officer, deploying overseas six times to combat zones including Iraq and Afghanistan. She broke barriers as one of the first women in Special Ops leadership and was awarded three Bronze Stars.
Conley has the endorsements from the following Westchester elected officials and democratic committees.
Cortlandt, Lewisboro, Mt. Kisco, North Castle, Ossining, Peekskill, and Pound Ridge democratic committees.
Peekskill Mayor Vivian McKenzie, Croton Mayor Brian Pugh, Ossining Mayor Rika Levin, Cortlandt Supervisor Richard Becker, Pound Ridge Supervisor Kevin Hansan, North Castle Supervisor Joe Rende, and County Legislator Emiljana Ulaj.
Former Westchester District Attorney Mimi Rocah recently endorsed Conley, posting.
“Cait has the fight to take on Mike Lawler and help us win back the House, and the character to stand up against Trump’s corruption and abuse of power. As a lifelong public servant, Cait has continuously put people, community, and country before all else. I know that Cait will be a fighter in Congress to advocate for the safety and security of our communities.”
Berger said that “Mimi’s endorsement of Cait is important because Mimi had a lot of support in the indivisible and progressive communities, and her endorsement speaks to Cait’s bona fides there.”
“She has local support on the ground, here in Westchester, and in Putnam and Dutchess Counties. But she also has broad-based national support that can counter the attention Lawler will draw from his Republican friends.
“When Pat Ryan (democratic congressman, Hudson Valley) and Gabby Giffords come to this district to endorse Cait’s campaign, people pay attention,” said Berger.
The third piece of momentum for the Conley campaign came from a $1 Million TV ad buy by VoteVets, which has endorsed her.
Since 2006, VoteVets PAC and VoteVets Action Fund have been the home for Democratic veterans, military families, and their civilian supporters. It is the first and largest organization of its kind, with over 1.5 million supporters in all 50 states. VoteVets uses public-issue campaigns to relentlessly amplify veterans’ voices on national security, veterans’ care, and everyday issues that affect those who served and their families.
VoteVets is announcing a one-million-dollar ad buy in support of Cait Conley, the front-runner in the Democratic primary in New York’s 17th Congressional District. Cait served for 16 years as an active-duty Army officer, deploying to combat zones six times, including Iraq and Afghanistan. She broke barriers as one of the first women in Special Ops leadership and was awarded three Bronze Stars for displaying “the highest degree of professionalism, sound judgment, and technical and tactical competence while conducting combat operations.” VoteVets was an early endorser of Conley, noting that her bio and experience make her the candidate best positioned to flip this crucial seat in the fall.
The ad, “Valley Home,” highlights Cait’s multi-generational roots in the district, her working-class background, her commitment to serving after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and her military leadership, which makes her the best candidate to take on Republican Mike Lawler this fall.
The ad will run heavily on cable networks ESPN, HGTV, Lifetime, and Hallmark, along with Yankees and Mets games, and the ad will target addressable cable advertising pinpoints and reach specific high-propensity primary voters.’
