Congressman Mike Lawler decisively won this week’s PIX11 debate as his opponent, Cait Conley, abruptly changed her position on several key issues during the 60-minute telecast.
In the PIX11 live debate, moderated by Dan Mannarino, Conley publicly changed her stance on three important topics:
- Immigration
- New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s antisemitism
- Data Centers
“Conley would have been better off staying home for this debate – or just going back to her house in Virginia and throwing in the towel for good,” said Ciro Riccardi, Lawler’s Campaign Manager. “Her flip-flops on key issues and inability to provide answers to specific questions show she’s not fit to serve as a member of Congress representing Hudson Valley families, especially our Jewish communities.”
In the News 12 debate on Sept. 28, Conley did not denounce Mamdani’s antisemitism after Lawler asked her four times to do so. In the PIX11 debate, Lawler asked her to condemn the Mayor’s statement that accused the Israeli government of using the Oct. 7, 2023 massacre by Hamas as a “justification for a genocide.” Conley finally, more than a week after Zohran Mamdani’s statement, replied, “Yes, I do denounce Mamdani’s statement on Oct. 7.” Her lack of a response for a week leading into the debate called into question the sincerity of her answer, with residents in the 17th District wondering if it was born out of political convenience, rather than how she actually feels.
Regarding immigration, Conley defended Gov. Kathy Hochul’s sanctuary law – the Local Cops Local Crimes Act – that bars local police from the 287(g) agreements that hand arrested illegal immigrants to federal custody. Conley said in the debate that local officers should not be “doing the federal government’s job.”
In delivering a confusing, mixed message on this issue, Conley said that the man charged in the March shooting death of Sheridan Gorman, the 18-year-old from Yorktown who was killed in Chicago, “That man should have been deported.” However, Hochul’s sanctuary law and cashless bail law would have forced the man to be released without turning him over to federal immigration authorities.
Lawler said the man arrested the way Gorman’s killer was arrested “will not be turned over to ICE and he will be released under cashless bail.”
Data centers have become a key topic in the campaign, and Conley also changed her stance on them during the debate. On September 28th, during the News 12 debate, Conley said, “I support a moratorium on data centers.” This week, she was asked if she wants more data centers when the current moratorium in Orangetown is lifted, and she said, “It depends on the conditions.” Earlier in 2026, as the Lawler for Congress campaign has been blasting across the district, Conley said, “We need data centers, they’re not going anywhere.”
With so many changes in policy in such a short period of time, many in the Hudson Valley have been left wondering if Cait’s positions are deep-held beliefs or ones her team decides on after receiving their latest poll results. Our advice at the Yonkers Times? Stick to your positions and don’t wave in the wind – the Hudson Valley deserves a member of Congress, from either party, that is true to their word.