NEW YORK — Cait Conley won the Democratic primary for New York's 17th Congressional District on election night. Conley received more than 52% of the vote with 37% of ballots counted as of 9:50 p.m.

With her primary victory, Conley will challenge Republican Representative Mike Lawler in the general election. Conley accumulated 7,462 votes. Beth Davidson, a Rockland County legislator, finished second with 28.3% of the vote, and Effie Phillips-Staley, a Tarrytown village trustee, placed third with 15.3%.

Conley is a former national cybersecurity expert who worked for the Department of Homeland Security during the Biden administration. She also served on the National Security Council in the Biden administration as director of counterterrorism. Conley previously served in the U.S. Army, where she was deployed overseas six times, and attended the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Conley grew up in the Hudson Valley.

The 17th Congressional District includes all of Rockland and Putnam counties and parts of Westchester and Dutchess counties. The Cook Political Report considers the seat a toss-up. Lawler has held the seat since 2023, winning it in 2022 by defeating former Representative Sean Patrick Maloney. In 2024, Lawler defeated former Representative Mondaire Jones by six percentage points. Former President Donald Trump endorsed Lawler in May during a visit to Rockland County. The district voted for Kamala Harris over Donald Trump by a margin of 50% to 49% in 2024. Donald Trump won Rockland County in 2024, receiving more votes than Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton, who won the county in 2020 and 2016, respectively.

Conley's campaign has focused on issues such as lowering housing costs, increasing affordable childcare, and expanding affordable healthcare. "Now tonight, the primary ends and now our true mission begins, and that is a mission we begin together and will finish together," Conley said. "The Hudson Valley deserves a representative who puts service above self, who puts country above party, and who puts working families above special interests." She also said of Lawler: "He is the king of special interests and his number one client is Donald Trump."