Putnam County Dems back Conley in 17th District race 

The Putnam County Democratic Committee has endorsed Cait Conley in the race for New York’s 17th Congressional District, backing her in a multi-candidate Democratic primary as the party looks ahead to a general election challenge against Republican incumbent Mike Lawler in November. 

Party Chair Jennifer Colamonico said Conley emerged as the preferred candidate after months of engagement with those seeking the nomination. 

“In a race among strong Democratic candidates, Cait Conley has the x-factor that we think will give us the best chance to beat Mike Lawler in November,” Colamonico said. “Cait Conley has already been steadfast in her support for Putnam since day one, and we can’t wait to have this kind of partnership when we send her to Washington to represent us.” 

According to the committee, Conley received 63 percent of the vote on the first ballot during the endorsement process.  

According to ballotpedia.org, besides Conley, Beth Davidson, Effie Phillips-Staley, John Cappello, Jessica Reinmann, and Mike Sacks will face off in the June 23 Democratic primary. Ballotpedia said that as of April, Conley, Davidson and Phillips-Staley lead in endorsements, fundraising and media coverage. 

Putnam Democrats said they had been evaluating candidates for more than a year, inviting them to meetings and monitoring the development of their campaigns. In a statement, the committee described the field as representing a range of perspectives within the party and emphasized the importance of party unity following the primary. 

Conley is an Army veteran and served on the National Security Council and at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency under President Biden. 

“The quality of candidates this year has truly shown the best of the Democratic Party,” the committee said in a statement. “While the next two months will be heated, we have to remember that the true goal is winning back this seat.” 

The committee also pointed to early campaign activity, including door-to-door outreach and petitioning efforts, as signs of organizational momentum heading into the election season. 

The 17th Congressional District contest is expected to draw significant attention as both parties prepare for a competitive general election in November.