Sen. Mark Kelly comes to Yorktown to campaign with Cait Conley

U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly joined Democratic congressional candidate Cait Conley and local supporters Sunday, Sept. 27, at the Albert A. Capellini Community & Cultural Center in Yorktown for a campaign event ahead of the Nov. 3 election.

The room was filled with cheers and calls for new leadership as supporters gathered before heading out to canvass for Conley, who is challenging Republican and two-term incumbent Mike Lawler for New York’s 17th Congressional District seat.

“Crowds like this, on a rainy, windy, nor’easter Sunday afternoon, gives you a lot of hope,” said Kelly, an Arizona Democrat, former Navy captain and NASA astronaut, speaking to Halston Media. “I mean, there’s incredible energy, not just here, across the country.”

He criticized President Donald Trump and said Democrats need to regain control of Congress and “bring accountability.” He also criticized Lawler, saying the congressman is doing the opposite of what Kelly believes is needed.

Conley, a Hudson Valley native and Army combat veteran, focused on the cost of living, including housing, health care, energy and groceries told Halston Media she was “so incredibly grateful and proud” to have Kelly alongside her in Yorktown on Sunday.

“What we represent — our choice of service through the military — is the example of what we need more of in this country, which is putting country first over any party or any individual,” Conley told Halston Media. “It is exactly the opposite of what we were seeing in Washington right now in Congress, with corrupt Republicans, like Mike Lawler, who continue to put Donald Trump's agenda ahead of the people they’re sworn to represent.”

She criticized Lawler’s voting record and support for Trump throughout the event while outlining her priorities for Congress, drawing loud applause from the packed room before her.

“They might have the money, but they don't have the side of right,” Conley said, referring to the Republican ticket. She added that when she thinks “about the stakes, and what is going on right now—how working families all across this district, are struggling to make ends meet,” she reflected on families like hers: one of three girls raised by a single mom working as a union postal worker.

“That type of situation you can’t even imagine today because of the economic conditions that we are seeing play out, where you have families, you are working full-time jobs and still can’t make ends meet,” she said. “That is wrong.”

Conley said having Kelly, who is married to former Arizona Rep. Gabby Giffords, who survived an assassination attempt in 2011 and later became a gun-safety advocate, in Yorktown underscored the stakes of the election, pointing to their shared military backgrounds as an example of the kind of leadership she hopes to bring to Congress.

“When he and I swore an oath to this country, swore an oath to support and defend our Constitution, to join the military. It was always about mission first, and that mission was protecting this country and doing what was right,” Conley said. “It was about putting country over politics or any person.”

Both Conley and Kelly pointed to the fact that Republicans will spend more money this election season, but said they believe it will not hurt their chances.

“This isn’t a race in who could spend more money. This is really a race who has better ideas and who will serve the American people instead of being served by the American people,” Kelly said. “But they're going to continue running this district with everything they have, and everything they can, because ... this system, they know that it works for them. It works very well for them. So we got to fight, too. We gotta keep showing up just like you are today. We got to keep speaking up.”

State Sen. Pete Harckham called the election “critical,” urging supporters to stay involved through Election Day and emphasizing the importance of voting all the way down the ballot. He also highlighted New York’s gun-safety laws, acknowledging Giffords, while members of Moms Demand Action, a grassroots organization advocating for stronger gun-safety laws, were in the audience.

“This race is not on one of those races where we say, ‘Oh, we'd really like to win this race.’ We have to win this race,” Harckham said. “Defeat is not an option. Failure is not an option.”

Jann Mirchandani, Democratic candidate for Yorktown supervisor, spoke about her 23 years living in Yorktown and said local government decisions directly affect residents’ daily lives. She called for new leadership at Town Hall and said she wants to bring “steadiness and common sense” to the town.

Other Democratic candidates also attended, including political newcomer Daniel Guzman, who is challenging Yorktown Assemblyman Matt Slater in the 94th District, and Assemblywoman Dana Levenberg, who is seeking reelection in the 95th District. Westchester County Board of Legislators Chairman Vedat Gashi, who is running to retain his District 4 seat, also attended.

Yorktown Town Clerk Diana Quast and Councilman Ilan Gilbert, both Democrats, were also at the event.

After the event, supporters had photo opportunities before heading out to canvass for Conley.

“The work you're doing today is so important,” Mirchandani said. “When you're at those doors, talking about Cait’s tremendous resume, and her qualifications, and why it's so important we got her elected. Talking about Pete and why we need him back in Albany, it’s critical that we remind voters that they need to make their way all the way down that ballot line.”