Democrat and Army Veteran Enters Key N.Y. House Race
The New York Times
Cait Conley, a former National Security Council official, will run for the seat held by Mike Lawler, a second-term Republican, in a Hudson Valley swing district.
Seven years ago, Democrats seized on a growing backlash against President Trump to flip the House of Representatives, relying partly on the successes of four newcomers with backgrounds in national security or the military.
Two of them are now senators — Andy Kim of New Jersey and Elissa Slotkin of Michigan — and the other two, Representative Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey and Abigail Spanberger of Virginia, are running for governor.
Now another Democrat is trying to follow their lead in the high-stakes midterms election in 2026.
Cait Conley, 39, an Army veteran and former national security official, will announce on Monday that she is challenging Representative Mike Lawler, a second-term Republican in a swing district in the suburbs north of New York City.
Mr. Lawler, 38, defeated the well-known Democratic incumbent, Sean Patrick Maloney, in 2022, and then held the seat last year in a hard-fought contest that helped Republicans maintain control of the House.
The race is likely to be close again next year, with or without Mr. Lawler: He has expressed interest in vacating his seat to challenge Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat.
