Americans are losing faith in their elected officials—and we can’t blame them. As costs skyrocket, healthcare and food access tighten, and our streets cloud with cancerous tear gas, our politicians disappear. Where are the leaders who believe in their oath to protect the Constitution and country?
Cait Conley, congressional candidate for New York’s 17th district, is raising her hand to say “right here!” Conley — a blue collar, combat veteran — is stepping up to the electoral plate and challenging Republican Mike Lawler, who she characterizes as someone who “lies like the best of them.” Conley and Jen break down the unaddressed needs of the NY-17 community, the restoration of checks and balances, and stopping “unhinged, un-American conduct.”
You can learn more about Cait Conley here.
Cait Conley is a former combat veteran running for Mike Lawler’s seat in New York’s 17th district. She earned three Bronze stars during her military service and went on to who later serve as the Director of Counterterrorism on the National Security Council.
Jen Rubin
Hi, this is Jen Rubin, Editor-in-Chief of The Contrarian. I am delighted to welcome a veteran, and a candidate for Congress, Cait Conley. She is running to replace Mike Lawler in the New York 17th Congressional District. Welcome, Kate, it’s a pleasure to meet you.
Cait Conley
Jen, thank you so much for having me, and just thank you for everything you do to have these incredibly important conversations with people about our country, our future, and what is shaping it.
Jen Rubin
Thank you. Tell us a little bit about your background.
Cait Conley
Yeah, I am a… a proud West Point grad, Army Special Ops combat vet of 16 years and 6 tours overseas. And daughter of the Hudson Valley. I come from a family as blue-collar as it gets. My great-grandfather and grandfather worked in the brickyard here. My dad was a construction worker. My mom has been with the U.S. Postal Service for 48 years. serving communities all over the Hudson Valley. And so, I come from a deep. family tradition of working hard, and serving people, and having the courage to stand up and fight for what is right. And so, for me, Jen, I’d say I’m a proud public servant, a proud patriot, and someone who loves this country more than anything, which is why I’m taking on this fight, to make sure that our best days as a nation are still ahead of us.
Jen Rubin
Absolutely, and you come from a beautiful, beautiful part of the state and the country. One of my favorite areas of New York State. You do come from public service, and when you took the oath of office, what did that mean to you personally? What did you, think, that meant to you, and that means to other people who take the oath of office?
Cait Conley
I have a lot of conversations with people, Jen, who start losing faith, I think, in America and just who we are. And when I hear that, I encourage them to go to West Point, and just sit and watch. And there you will see this incredible group of people, of public servants, of leaders. These cadets, who come from all 50 states and territories, men and women, who come from families that span the economic spectrum, some of our nation’s wealthiest, some of our nation’s poorest. And they are there for one thing. And that is to serve the Constitution, to fight for the country they love. to be willing to make the most ultimate sacrifice in defense of this country and the American people. And I think it’s important for people to understand, as someone, again, who’s done it, I did 4 years at West Point, 16 years in the Army, 6 stores overseas, I can talk about, kind of. It is out of love that you serve. And this is where, when you look at the military. You know, I’ve served under Republican presidents, Democratic presidents, it never mattered. My mission never changed. That was to serve the American people, that was to protect this country. And it is the military that transcends politics, right? That is why, when I swore an oath, I swore it to the Constitution, not a person or a party. And I think that is so important for the American people to remember, that those who put on the uniform, we’re not doing it for a political agenda or an individual, we’re doing it for them.
Jen Rubin
And when you see someone like Pete Hegseth, or someone like the president politicize the military, try to engage them in his brand of, frankly, very extreme, very radical politics, where he enlists them to conduct, extrajudicial killings on the high seas. What is that… tell you about our country, and what does that tell you about what’s not happening in Congress to rein that in?
Cait Conley
So, Jen, I talked about 16 years in service, 6 tours overseas, hunting down some of the most brutal terror groups in the world, pushing back against some of our foreign adversaries, like Russia, Iran. I spent 2 years at the White House as the Director for Counterterrorism on the National Security Council staff, and then 2 years as a Senior Executive leading Homeland Security missions around critical infrastructure. I say all of that because With everything that I have seen, and everything that I have done. I never thought I would feel like the greatest threat to this country, to our future, to who we are, would come from within our own borders. And Jen, that is what we are seeing play out right now. I am watching the country that I was willing to die for. become something I barely recognize. As federal agents. Masks are on American streets, harassing and assaulting American citizens, the very people that they are sworn to serve and protect. And Jen, instead of seeking accountability, like this, instead of this administration leading in this critical moment. And ensuring transparent investigations, and those responsible are held accountable. They have the audacity to target the victims? To put this on the victims? To lie! It is disgraceful. It is the most unhinged and un-American conduct I have seen in my lifetime, and it has no place in America.
Jen Rubin
Your opponent, if you’re the Democratic nominee, Mike Lawler. voted for the big, ugly bill that included all of this money for ICE, that included cuts to Medicaid, that did not include the subsidies for the ACA. And now he’s taking some votes to try to clean that up. What do you think, the voters need to know about him, and how would you have voted and acted differently than Mike Lawler, when it comes to the big, ugly bill?
Cait Conley
Then this is the guy who literally starts the fire, and then wants credit for yelling smoke. He is someone who serves one person, Mike Lawler. And unfortunately, the people here in the Hudson Valley have paid the price of this selfishness, and so have people around the country. When you look at the margins in which the one big ugly bill passed, Mike Lawler was one vote that enabled it to become law. This guy… he is a great shapeshifter, I will give him credit. He lies like the best of them. But what the American people are so sick of, Jen, is that they don’t want more politicians who say one thing and do another. That’s why people are losing trust in the institutions. They want someone that they can believe in, that they can trust, that even if you don’t agree on every issue, you know that person will always put country first, and the best interest of the American people first. And in that sense. I can’t wait to hold him accountable, because at the end of the day, since Mike Lawler’s been elected in November of 2022, it has only become harder for families here in the Hudson Valley and across the country To put food on the table, a roof over their heads, afford healthcare, keep the lights on, or try to give their kids a better future. And so for that, he will be held accountable. Because people deserve better, they want better. And we can offer them better.
Jen Rubin
The healthcare crisis is acute, and it’s acute in areas where, frankly, there are rural populations, lightly populated areas, because of the problem of rural hospitals. You have some more rural areas, you have some more populated areas. How is the potential for these huge cuts in Medicaid playing out, and what are people telling you about their concerns about healthcare?
Cait Conley
When you talk about what keeps people up at night? It is… The ability to provide for their families, or rather the inability Right? They are struggling with everything from having to make trade-offs between groceries and prescriptions, to how do they pay the electric bill and their health insurance or car insurance. Jen, it is everything. And yeah, this budget bill that Lawler voted for, that punished people across this country. To include right here in New York 17, we’re looking at over 30,000 residents getting kicked off of Medicaid. In one of my four counties alone, we saw $20 million in food assistance cuts at a time where people are struggling to already put food on the table. And it goes beyond that. I mean, look at the tariffs. We’re facing a housing crisis. And this guy sat back and allowed the federal government, this administration, to implement tariffs that literally drove up the cost on everything from construction material to prescriptions. And I think, Jen, honestly, it goes beyond just any single issue. Mike Lawler has been complicit, along with the other cowards in Congress, for allowing the weaponization of the executive branch go unchecked. And for that, there is no forgiveness. This is happening on his watch. And again, going back to the American people deserve better. This district is one of three in the entire country last… in 2024 that went for Kamala Harris and a Republican member of Congress. The way we stop this administration, the way we undo the damage, like the Medicaid cuts. Like, the refusal to reimplement the premium tax credits is by taking back the House. We don’t do that if we don’t win New York 17.
Jen Rubin
Absolutely. The president likes to throw around the world terrorist, and you fought against real terrorists. Renee Goode was a domestic terrorist. Alex Pretty was a domestic terrorist. Fishermen on the high seas were narco-terrorists, and in fact, they’re none of those things. How does that make you feel, and how concerned are you that the military, that ICE, other aspects of the federal government. are being enlisted in ways in which they were never intended to, and are being used to perpetrate not a safe America, but to, in essence, perpetrate terror on the American people.
Cait Conley
I think we have seen that our institutions were not prepared to have checks on this kind of abuse of power. You know, to your point, even at the beginning, like, within the first few days of this administration, we saw this president issuing executive orders targeting former Republicans in his first term, who failed to, you know, show the loyalty that Donald Trump demanded. We saw the Department of Justice go after political opposition, like my own Attorney General, Tish James. Unfounded. Same thing, James Coney. These were cases that courts threw out because they were unfounded. The weaponization of various elements of the executive branch that we are seeing. Cannot become normalized, cannot become acceptable. And this goes back to Mike Lawler. You know, he wrote an op-ed earlier this week where he had the audacity to say that the killings in Minneapolis were the byproduct of failed immigration policy. I will tell you, as someone who started my military career as a military police officer, who has conducted domestic law enforcement. What we are seeing has nothing to do with law enforcement. It has nothing to do with immigration enforcement, Jen. This is about trying to silence political opposition and stoke fear in the hearts of the American people. Well, I have a very clear message from Mike Lawler and Donald Trump, and we are seeing it on the streets of Minneapolis. America is better than this. You cannot scare us out of fighting for democracy and for our rights. And so they will be held accountable. I think that is where November elections have consequences, right? We cannot afford to allow this administration to go unchecked and enabled by cowards like Mike Lawler. And so, to your point, to watch this administration use terms like terrorist? On a mother who was shot in the face? On a nurse who was on the ground disarmed, shot in the back multiple times? is disgusting. Absolutely disgusting. Unacceptable! Un-American.
Jen Rubin
Americans, obviously, have been greatly disturbed, and the way, as you point out, to do something about this is to get engaged and to vote. The turnout is obviously going to be critical. When you talk to people, are there people out there who realize the urgency of the moment? Are there people who maybe have not been politically involved, who now are? What are you sensing in terms of the public’s willingness to get in the game, to do something about this, to take back their government?
Cait Conley
So, our district. you know, Kamala Harris won it, but by less than one point. So, nearly half of my district voted for Donald Trump. And so when I go out there, and I listen to folks, and try to understand why. I have to tell you, A lot of people. don’t support him, right? They don’t support what is happening. This isn’t what they signed up for. What they heard during his campaign Was hope in his lies. Hope that someone was finally going to address the affordability crisis. Hope that someone was finally going to make America work for working Americans again. And what they’re seeing. Is this play out, where this man has done nothing to actually really help them in the long term? Going back to the question I ask people is, you know, when it comes to Mike Lawler, since he’s been elected. Is it any easier to put food on the table, a roof over your head, afford healthcare, keep the lights on? Do you feel better about your kid’s future? And the sad answer, Jen, is no. And the American people deserve better. And so I do think that people… art. Are disgusted and concerned about what they are seeing. But this is also where I believe Democrats have a call to action. Where we need to demonstrate, not just with words, but actions, what we will do differently. We need to recognize that just because people lose faith in one party, doesn’t mean they gain it in another without the work to do to build it. And this is what our responsibility is, is to earn the trust of the American people, not through words, but through deeds.
Jen Rubin
If people want to get involved in your campaign, Cait, what do they do? Where do they go? How can they find you?
Cait Conley
Check us out, the website, it’s easy, it’s just www.kateconley.com. Please reach out, we certainly would love and appreciate the help in this fight. The outcome of New York 17 will determine the outcome of our House majority. And so, in that, this is a fight not just for the communities here in the Hudson Valley, but for this country. And I am proud to lead this charge, and I… I hope everyone knows this is a fight they can be proud to be part of, so…
Jen Rubin
Thank you so much for making time for us, and thank you for your military service, and for what you’re doing now. We really appreciate it. We will look forward to having you back, because this is, folks, one of the places Where we either get off this train to fascism, or we continue barreling down this very, very dark path. So thanks so much, we’ll look forward to seeing you soon.
Cait Conley
Thanks, Jen.
