I had the honor of sitting down with Cait Conley, a Hudson Valley native, decorated Army veteran, and one of the Democrats challenging Republican Rep. Mike Lawler (NY-17). Conley traces her call to service back to 9/11, a moment that led her to West Point and a 16-year Army career with six combat deployments across Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, and Yemen. Rising from military police officer to special operations leader, she earned three Bronze Stars and the Presidential Unit Citation. These experiences forged her conviction that true leadership demands accountability, sacrifice, and integrity, qualities she argues are absent in Lawler’s politics.

Conley makes a compelling case for urgent investment in the Hudson Valley’s future, in infrastructure, education, and vocational training and does not mince words about Lawler’s record. She charges that his votes have consistently undermined working families, and that he fundamentally underestimates the voters of NY-17.

Grounded in service and community, Conley offers a vision of leadership that prioritizes people over politics and reminds us that resilience is not just a military value but a civic one.

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