Cait Conley, a veteran, wins the Democratic primary to challenge Republican Mike Lawler in an important competitive election.

Democratic Primary Results in Hudson Valley

A U.S. Army veteran who worked at the Department of Homeland Security during the Biden administration has emerged victorious in Tuesday’s Democratic primary. Kate Conley will now face Republican Rep. Mike Lawler in the upcoming general election.

According to reports, Conley secured 7,462 votes, which represents 37% of the counted ballots, and her percentage increased to over 52% by 9:50 p.m. Her win came in what was largely a three-way competition against Beth Davidson and Effie Phillips-Staley.

This election is particularly significant, as Conley is running in a key battleground area within the Hudson Valley. Democrats have set their sights on challenging Lawler, a two-term incumbent. This district is viewed as one of the party’s best opportunities for a pickup in New York during this year’s midterms.

Before her congressional run, Conley had a background in cybersecurity for DHS and decided to return to the 17th Congressional District to make her bid for Congress.

Davidson, a Rockland County legislator, aimed to appeal to moderate voters similar to Conley but only managed to garner 28.3% of the votes.

Meanwhile, Phillips-Staley, a notable progressive candidate, fell short with just 15.3% of the votes, placing her third in the race.

Lawler, who won this seat in 2022 by defeating former Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, was part of a Republican surge in the House that year.

In a closely contested 2024 election, Lawler had previously faced off against a former congressman. Notably, Kamala Harris won the district by a narrow margin over President Trump, with Mondaire Jones having secured a victory by 6 points.