Cait Conley, right, with County Legislator Colin Smith
By Dan Murphy
Cait Conley cruised to a 17 point victory on June 23 in the democratic primary for Congress in NY-17 Tuesday night. Conley got 49% of the vote, with Beth Davidson second with 32% and Effie Philips-Staley with 15%.
Conley, a West Point graduate with 16 years of combat service, had the endorsement and support from VoteVets. “VoteVets invested $1 million into this race, using veteran voices to introduce Conley to voters and highlight her military service. We’re proud to have done our part to put the strongest candidate forward in this race, and we’ll be with Cait every step of the way as she takes on Mike Lawler this November.”
Conley said on primary night, “Thank you to the voters of New York’s 17th district who trusted me with their vote to be our fighter who takes on Mike Lawler in November. To everyone who voted for another candidate, I look forward to the opportunity to earn your support in taking back the Hudson Valley. We are united now by something much bigger than any one campaign: the fight to defeat Mike Lawler, take back the House, check this Administration, and deliver for the working families of the Hudson Valley.
“My entire life, I have stepped up to solve some of the toughest problems facing our country and delivered results when it mattered most. I spent 16 years in the Army, deploying six times to combat zones to keep our families safe. I’ve gone from the battlefield to the Situation Room when the stakes were life and death, and I sure as hell am not afraid of a lifelong political hack like Mike Lawler.
“Mike Lawler has had four years to fight for this district. But instead, he has put his own political career over our communities, chosen corruption over service, and voted 100% of the time with a MAGA agenda that has gutted our healthcare, jacked up costs, and undermined our democracy and freedoms. I didn’t serve this country to watch it get sold out by a career politician who would rather protect his party than his constituents.
“The people of the Hudson Valley deserve better. They deserve a representative who fights for the veteran trying to get the benefits they earned, the senior trying to afford a prescription, the parent trying to keep up with grocery bills, the immigrant family searching for a brighter future, the small-business owner trying to make payroll, and the young person wondering whether they can afford to build a life here. Tonight, we celebrate. Tomorrow, we get back to work and take our country back.”