GOP Rep. Mike Lawler has launched a fierce attack on his Democratic rival, Cait Conley, labeling her a 'carpetbagger' who is out of touch with his district and aligned with unpopular progressive figures like Gov. Hochul, Zohran Mamdani, and AOC. Lawler also questioned Conley's residency, financial dealings with AI firms, and policy stances, while Conley's campaign fiercely defends her as a local native and Army veteran, counter-accusing Lawler of being a 'career political operative' and highlighting his own financial dealings.
Hudson Valley GOP Rep. Mike Lawler has accused Dem foe Cait Conley of being a carpetbagger in sync with fellow lefties unpopular in his district, from Gov. Kathy Hochul to Big Apple Mayor Zohran Mamdani. “It’s safe to say Hochul, Mamdani, [Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez] and [Sen. Chuck] Schumer will be making appearances in our advertising,” Lawler recently told The Post editorial board. Lawler and Conely are locked in a reported neck-and-neck race that has become one of the most closely watched in the country — and could determine which party controls the House of Representatives next year. Conley, an Army veteran and West Point grad, is just another liberal Democrat who supports the government “takeover” of health care and backs Hochul’s “Sanctuary State” policies, which severely limit New York law enforcement from cooperating with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, Lawler claimed. On her campaign website, Conley said she supports “allowing everyone to opt in to a public insurance option” but does not favor a complete government takeover. Conley meanwhile backs revoking so-called “287g agreements” that allow local police to help ICE with immigration enforcement and has spoken against “the terrorization of our immigrant communities.” Lawler said he opposes Hochul’s “Sanctuary State” policies and a new state law that bars such cooperation. “You can’t claim to be a moderate of you’re supporting the core of what these people are advocating,” he said of Democratic leaders in New York. He said the Democratic Party’s “death march” toward socialism is not popular in his 17th Congressional District, which encompasses Rockland, Putnam and parts of Westchester and Dutchess counties, where large segment of households have family members who are police officers, firefighters or veterans. Lawler also accused Conley, who was raised in the greater Hudson Valley, of moving into his district just to run for Congress. “She parachuted in to run,” he said, noting she owns homes in North Carolina and Virginia and rents a place in Westchester. “She has no ties to the district whatsoever. “She doesn’t pay [property] taxes,’’ he said. “She moved here for the sole purpose of running [for office] because somebody in Washington told her, ‘This is the district to run in.’ ” He also accused Conley of “hypocrisy” for flipping her position from supporting the construction of AI data centers to endorsing Hochul’s one-year freeze on them. Lawler opposes Hochul’s moratorium. In addition, he pointed out that Conley was working on artificial-intelligence issues as former President Joe Biden’s security adviser and then got paid a total of $328,000 by AI firms Primer and Hidden Level right after leaving office. His campaign referenced the payment in a hard-hitting ad, calling it a “very clear case of corruption. “She landed these two gigs on her way out the door [from working in the Biden administration] to effectively do nothing and run for Congress,” he said. The Conley camp said Lawler’s attacks smack of desperation, especially given she’s a “fourth generation” Hudson Valley native. “This election, Hudson Valley voters will choose between career political operative and former utility lobbyist Mike Lawler, who votes with Donald Trump 100% of the time even when it harms his own constituents, and Cait Conley, a fourth-generation Hudson Valley native and Army combat veteran who served six tours overseas and has dedicated her life to keeping Americans safe,” said Conley campaign rep Maddy Rosen. “While Mike spends his days cozying up to the corporations and special interests backing his campaign, Cait is running to rein in Washington corruption, lower middle-class taxes, and hold monopoly utility companies and Big Pharma accountable to bring forward the affordable future the Hudson Valley deserves.” The Conley camp accused Republicans of falsely using AI images of her standing next to Mamdani and Ocasio-Cortez. “I spent my career hunting down terrorists in combat zones as a special operations officer. Yes, we should have prisons, borders, ICE, and the Senate. And Mike, let me remind you that despite your best efforts, you’re running against me in NY-17,” she said in a statement on X. As for claims of corruption, the Conley campaign pointed to Lawler selling his stake in a campaign consulting firm he founded — but not before Checkmate Strategies was paid more than $720,000 by Republican Party groups with ties to him, as well as his own campaign. Lawler is seeking a third-term in a purple district. Some independent observers, such as the Cook Political Report and the University of Virginia Center for Politics, said the race is a toss-up. More than 20% of the voters are Jewish, many of whom care about the state of Israel. It also a district concerned about pocketbook issues such as rising gas prices and property taxes. Lawler boasted of lifting the cap to restore state and local tax deductions on federal return for homeowners, an issue he said he clashed with President Trump on. He acknowledged that voters are grumpy about the high cost of living but said New York’s Democratic-controlled restrictive energy policies and high taxes and spending are part of the problem.
