Cait Conley

Candidate, NY-17 · Democratic · New York

Cait Conley is the Democratic nominee for New York’s 17th Congressional District, a West Point graduate, 16-year Army combat veteran, and former National Security Council counterterrorism director challenging Republican Rep. Mike Lawler in a marquee swing seat.

Profile last updated Jul 12, 2026 · Center Field Politics

Cait Conley

Office Held: Candidate, NY-17

Democratic

Notices

LIMITED DATA / NEW POLITICAL CANDIDATE

Home town

Ossining, NY

Political Party

Democratic

Spectrum

Left of Center

Years of Service

Age

Unknown

Net Worth

Not publicly available

Wealth rank: Not publicly available

Change since first elected: Not publicly available

Work History

Public Offices

Cait Conley has not held elected office
her public service is 16 years as an active-duty Army officer and senior roles at the NSC and CISA.

Before Politics¹

U.S. Army officer (16 years
special operations)
Director for Counterterrorism
National Security Council
official at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)

Party Unity / Cross-Party Votes

N/A - no voting record yet

Promises Kept

0 of 0 tracked (0 fulfilled, 0 in progress)

Core Strength

Elite military/national-security résumé (three Bronze Stars, MIT and Harvard degrees) and strong early fundraising.

Core Weakness

First-time candidate against an entrenched, well-funded incumbent with proven swing-district appeal.

Where They Stand

Environment: Supports — Backs federal climate investment, clean-energy incentives, and emissions limits.

Healthcare: Supports — Supports expanding coverage and protecting the Affordable Care Act.

Second Amendment: Supports — Supports expanded background checks and other firearm-safety measures.

Immigration: Supports — Supports comprehensive reform, including a pathway for Dreamers.

Roe v. Wade: Supports — Supports codifying abortion access protections into federal law.

National Security: Mixed / Partial — Favors diplomacy and congressional authorization over unilateral escalation.

Scout's Report

A national-security-credentialed Democrat in one of the most competitive House races in the country (D+1). No governing record yet, so record-based stats are N/A by design.

Core Strength

Elite military/national-security résumé (three Bronze Stars, MIT and Harvard degrees) and strong early fundraising.

Core Weakness

First-time candidate against an entrenched, well-funded incumbent with proven swing-district appeal.

Recent Action

Won a crowded five-way June 2026 Democratic primary to challenge Rep. Lawler.

Key Metrics

Reliability: N/A
Documented Controversies: 0
Funding Secured: N/A

Where They Stand

Stances on the issues many voters care most about. Where a candidate has not given a clear answer we mark it "Mixed / Partial" or "Unclear" rather than guess. Positions are drawn from official records and bias-labeled news sources; they are descriptive only and are never scored.

Environment—Supports³

Climate protections and regulation versus fewer climate-related regulations on industry.

Backs federal climate investment, clean-energy incentives, and emissions limits.