NY-17 Election Showdown

A West Point Grad Defeats Four Primary Rivals

Conley, a West Point graduate, served 16 years as an Army officer with six combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. She earned three Bronze Stars. She later directed counterterrorism on the National Security Council and served as a senior adviser at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the federal agency that protects U.S. digital infrastructure. Halston Media Group reported she raised over $730,000 in Q1 alone — more than all rivals combined — and entered election day with $1.5 million cash on hand.

Her four primary opponents each had distinct profiles. Beth Davidson was a sitting Rockland County legislator. Effie Phillips-Staley served as a Tarrytown village trustee. John Cappello is an Air Force veteran from Rockland. Mike Sacks is a lawyer-turned-TV reporter. Davidson finished at 28%, Phillips-Staley at 15%, and Cappello and Sacks each pulled roughly 2%, per AP results with about 89% of votes counted.

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Republicans Spent $1.5 Million to Sink Conley Early

The primary turned ugly fast. A group called

Conley Goes After Lawler With Combat-Zone Confidence

Conley came out swinging after her win. "I've gone from the battlefield to the Situation Room when the stakes were life and death," she said, "and I sure as hell am not afraid of a lifelong political hack like Mike Lawler." The DCCC framed the GOP primary meddling as proof of Lawler's weakness. Spokeswoman Riya Vashi said Republicans are "so terrified Mike Lawler will lose" that they had to interfere, according to Courier New York.

Lawler's camp pushed back hard. His campaign labeled Conley a "profiteer" over her consulting work with firms tied to immigration enforcement technology, including Palantir. The NRCC added that "whoever emerges from this primary will be bruised, broke, and no match for Mike Lawler." Conley entered the general with $1.5 million on hand — a strong base, but Lawler has incumbency and a moderate reputation working in his favor.

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Veterans and Swing Voters Will Decide the Fall Race

The district has 212,000 registered Democrats versus 138,000 Republicans. But roughly 20% of voters are unaffiliated — not registered with either party. Conley has argued she is built to win those voters. She points out that more than half of local households have ties to active-duty service members, veterans, first responders, or law enforcement, per Halston Media Group.

Progressives who backed Phillips-Staley remain skeptical. They worry Conley's military-first message won't energize the district's Latino and younger voters. Lawler, meanwhile, has survived tough cycles before by painting himself as a centrist. Both the Cook Political Report and Inside Elections rate the seat a toss-up, meaning control of the House could hinge on this one Hudson Valley district.

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