Beth Davidson
By Dan Murphy
A recent poll conducted by Impact Research gives Rockland County Legislator Beth Davidson a six point lead in an upcoming democratic primary in June to see who will face off against republican congressman Mike Lawler in November.
The poll has Davidson at 23%, with Cait Conley second with 17%, Peter Chatzky at 8%, Effie Phillips-Staley at 5%, Mike Sachs at 1%, and 45% undecided.
“Recent polling conducted among Democratic primary voters in NY-17 shows that Beth Davidson is the best-known and best-liked candidate in the primary field, leads in the vote, and starts with a base of support that other candidates lack. Additionally, Davidson’s profile and message is the most broadly appealing to primary voters and moves more voters toward her, while Cait Conley has serious vulnerabilities. Below are key findings from this research,” writes the memo from Impact Research which originally appeared in Politico.
KEY FINDINGS
- Beth Davidson, the only elected official with a history of winning competitive races in the field, is the best known and most well-liked candidate in the Democratic primary. While there are still primary voters to introduce her to, over four-in-10 primary voters already know Davidson (41% name ID), and she has a favorability advantage over the Democratic field (33% are favorable toward Davidson, compared to 28% for Cait Conley, 25% for Peter Chatzky, and 13% for Effie Phillips-Staley). This name ID advantage is significant in the expensive New York City media market, and comes after Davidson received recent media attention for her leadership standing up to protect Rockland County from Trump’s illegal ICE raids – a top issue priority for primary voters. Her name ID advantage is also notable given that candidate Peter Chatzky has already started spending on paid communications to primary voters.
- Davidson currently holds a 6-point lead in the vote with nearly a quarter of the electorate supporting her. Davidson currently leads the field with 23% of the vote, while all the other candidates are under 20% (23% Davidson / 17% Conley / 8% Chatzky / 5% Phillips-Staley / 1% Sacks / 1% Cappello / 45% undecided). Importantly, Davidson is the only candidate in the race with a notable base of support at this point, driven by a lead in Rockland, part of which she serves in the county legislature, though she wins votes across the entire district.
Davidson has the most broadly appealing profile to primary voters. Davidson’s biography and record of leadership in Rockland are very appealing to primary voters, with 84% saying that they would be likely to vote for her after hearing a brief description – the highest of any of the candidates’ bios, including Cait Conley. Primary voters found Davidson’s record of standing up to Trump and defending the Hudson Valley from ICE raids especially compelling.
- Additionally, Cait Conley has serious vulnerabilities with Democratic primary voters. Her ongoing work on the payroll of AI companies that helped develop technology used by the Trump Administration, her attacks on progressive groups and unions, her never having lived in the district, and her lack of a track record supporting Democratic values and causes all test with very strong intensity (up to 53% very serious concerns) and move voters against her.
Bios:
Beth Davidson is a Rockland County legislator, former school board member, cancer survivor, and mom of two. As a public servant, she’s been focused on standing up to Trump and getting results for Hudson Valley families. She fully funded our public schools, passed a law to protect our kids from gun violence, and now she’s leading the fight to protect her constituents from Trump’s brutal and illegal ICE raids. And
when Trump cruelly cut food assistance benefits, Beth fought back, getting the county to help cover the cost so kids, seniors, and veterans didn’t go hungry. Over one hundred and fifty Democratic leaders including the Rockland County Democratic Committee endorse Beth because they trust her to defeat Mike Lawler, stand up to Trump and ICE, and deliver on our Democratic priorities in Congress.
Cait Conley lives in Ossining and is a decorated combat veteran and national security expert who has answered the call to serve time and again for our country. She was awarded three Bronze stars for her service, went on to serve as President Biden’s top counterterrorism adviser on the National Security Council, and was banned from Russia for her work protecting American democracy from Vladimir Putin.
She never imagined that the biggest threat to our democracy would come from within our own borders, but with Trump raiding our streets and taking away our rights and freedoms, she’s stepping up again to run for Congress and defend our democracy from Trump’s attacks. She is endorsed by Congressman Pat Ryan, who says she’s the strongest candidate to win against Mike Lawler.
Peter Chatzky is a businessman and the former Mayor of the Village of Briarcliff Manor. Peter has enacted over seventy laws – from tax relief for veterans to incentives for clean energy – and helped get new housing built in Westchester. When Trump tried to build the Trump National golf course in Briarcliff Manor, Peter organized his neighbors to stop it. Peter believes the system is broken, we’re up against a corrupted government, a politicized court, and a Republican party trying to erase what makes America strong. A true bold progressive, Peter will take on Trump and fight to fix the system by abolishing ICE and passing Medicare for All.
Effie Phillips-Staley is a Tarrytown Trustee and nonprofit executive who has been endorsed by former Congressman Jamaal Bowman. In Congress, Effie will put people first by fighting for Medicare for All, universal childcare, anti-war legislation, and abolishing ICE.
Mike Sacks is a lawyer-turned-television reporter who has covered political and legal affairs in the federal government. He is running to stop Donald Trump and Mike Lawler from destroying our democracy.
The poll was taken before the New York Times ran a story on Peter Chatsky and his troubling social media posts that several women’s groups have called sexist and offensive, and which resulted in Philips-Staley calling on Chatzky to get out of the race.
