OSSINING, NY – Today, Cait Conley, 16-year Army combat veteran and Democratic candidate for New York’s 17th Congressional District, released the following statement in response to Congressman Mike Lawler’s announcement that he will not run for governor in 2026:
“Whether voting to cut Medicaid after he lied to New Yorkers or chickening out on running for governor, it’s no shock that Mike Lawler remains an obedient lapdog to his DC bosses. The only person Mike Lawler looks out for is himself. I am running because families in NY-17 deserve better than the same politician who keeps failing them. Since Lawler has taken the seat, he has voted on bills that have made the lives of working families harder and future prospects for working Americans darker. New Yorkers deserve a representative who stands up when it matters most, not backs down.”
With over $815,000 raised in less than 100 days and key endorsements from VoteVets, The Next 50, New Politics, and Majority Democrats, Cait Conley has unstoppable momentum. As a 16-year Army combat veteran and Hudson Valley native, she’s the only candidate with the grassroots support, real-world experience, and broad backing to beat Mike Lawler and flip NY-17.
About Cait Conley:
Cait Conley is a fourth-generation Hudson Valley native and the daughter of a postal worker and a construction worker. She is a decorated combat veteran and national security expert who has spent her life answering the call to serve. That call began on 9/11, when, as a junior in high school, she watched the Twin Towers fall. The next day, she started the process for applying to West Point — earning acceptance and becoming the first in her family to graduate college and then going on later to attend graduate programs at Harvard and MIT. Cait served 16 years as an active duty Army officer, deploying six times to take down the world’s most dangerous terrorists, and later led counterterrorism efforts on the National Security Council and at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Throughout her career, Cait has been called upon to solve the toughest problem and fix things that are broken. That’s why Cait is running for Congress — to fix a broken system and fight for a better future for New Yorkers.
Learn more about Cait online at CaitConley.com.
###