U.S. House, New York 17th Congressional District · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in New York's 17th Congressional District?
Mike Lawler has the strongest record in New York's 17th Congressional District. Mike Lawler scores 75 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Cait Conley at 53, as of October 9, 2026. Mike Lawler's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Cait Conley's highest marks are relevant experience. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Democratic
Cait Conley
53 / 100
Public evidence on 9 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 55
- Performance
- NR
Republican · incumbent
Strongest record
Mike Lawler
75 / 100
Public evidence on 14 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 60
- Qualifications
- 80
- Performance
- 88
The good, the bad and the unresolved
The record
The notable facts of each candidate's public life, each tied to a source and confirmed to be this person. Unresolved matters are labeled with where they stand and do not move a score.
Cait Conley
- On the record2026-08-19
Appeared with Lawler at the Dutchess County Chamber of Commerce forum, their first joint event of the general election.
- On the record2026-08-20
Agreed to a televised News 12 debate with Lawler on Sept. 28, 2026.
Source: News 12, Aug. 20, 2026
- On the record2026-09-28
Debated Rep. Mike Lawler on News 12 on Sept. 28, 2026, in a debate moderated by Tara Rosenblum.
Source: News 12, Sept. 28, 2026
- Credit2023
Named CISA's senior election security adviser to coordinate with state and local election officials ahead of the 2024 election, per the Associated Press.
Mike Lawler
- On the record2026-02-01
Held an in-person town hall at Rockland Community College on Feb. 1, 2026, his fourth since taking office, where he faced a hostile crowd, per News 12 and NPR.
- On the record2026-09-28
Debated Democrat Cait Conley on News 12 on Sept. 28, 2026, in a debate moderated by Tara Rosenblum.
Source: News 12, Sept. 28, 2026
- On the record2025
Voted Yea on the Protect America's Workforce Act in 2025 and the Ukraine Support Act in 2026, both passed over the Nay votes of the Majority Leader and Whip.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 332, 2025, House Clerk Roll Call 207, 2026
- On the record2025-04-27
Held an in-person town hall at Clarkstown South High School in April 2025, where constituents booed and jeered him.
Source: WAMC via WSHU, April 28, 2025
- On the record2025-05-04
Held an in-person town hall in Somers on May 4, 2025, the second of his 2025 series, where law enforcement carried out attendees, per News 12 and Rolling Stone.
- On the record2024-10-03
Apologized in October 2024 after the New York Times published a 2006 photo of him in blackface at a college Halloween party, per the Associated Press.
- On the record2023-11-01
Voted Yea on the first resolution to expel Rep. George Santos on Nov. 1, 2023, when the Majority Leader and Whip voted Nay; he voted Yea again on Dec. 1, when it passed.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 564, 2023, House Clerk Roll Call 691, 2023
- Credit2024
Rated exceeds expectations for the 118th Congress by the Center for Effective Lawmaking, and ranked 4th of 436 on the Lugar Center Bipartisan Index for 2023.
Sources: Center for Effective Lawmaking House dataset, Lugar Center Bipartisan Index, House Scores
- Credit2024
Four bills he sponsored became law, including the SHIP Act and the Iran-China Energy Sanctions Act of 2023.
Source: GovTrack, enacted legislation
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Cait Conley. House candidate financial disclosure filed May 19, 2026, and campaign reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine or official finding found.
Sources: House Clerk financial disclosure, Filing ID 10076406, FEC administrative fines search
Mike Lawler. Annual financial disclosure for 2025 is on file with the House Clerk, filed Aug. 13, 2026. The Clerk index lists no periodic transaction reports for him; no House Ethics Committee matter or FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: House Clerk financial disclosure, Filing ID 10078077, FEC administrative fines search
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Cait Conley. No public record found.
Mike Lawler. Voted twice in 2023 to expel Rep. George Santos when the Majority Leader and Whip voted Nay, and in 2025 and 2026 voted for the Protect America's Workforce Act and Ukraine Support Act over their Nay votes.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 564, 2023, House Clerk Roll Call 332, 2025, House Clerk Roll Call 207, 2026
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Cait Conley. Appeared with Lawler at an August 2026 Dutchess County Chamber of Commerce forum and debated him on News 12 on Sept. 28, 2026; her campaign cites two scheduled televised debates.
Sources: City & State New York, Aug. 19, 2026, News 12, Sept. 28, 2026, Fox News, Aug. 2026
Mike Lawler. Held in-person town halls in West Nyack (April 2025), Somers (May 2025) and at Rockland Community College (February 2026), his fourth since 2023; appeared at an August 2026 forum and debated Conley on News 12 Sept. 28.
Sources: WAMC via WSHU, April 28, 2025, News 12, May 4, 2025, News 12, Feb. 1, 2026, City & State New York, Aug. 19, 2026, News 12, Sept. 28, 2026
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Cait Conley. Served 16 years in the Army, then on the National Security Council and as a senior adviser at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. No formal conduct finding found.
Source: Ballotpedia, Cait Conley
Mike Lawler. Has served in the Assembly and in Congress since 2021 with no censure, reprimand or House Ethics Committee matter found.
Source: Wikipedia, Mike Lawler
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Cait Conley. Served 16 years as an Army officer and later in federal service at the National Security Council and CISA, where she led election security work. No misuse-of-office finding found.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Cait Conley, Associated Press via Connecting Vets
Mike Lawler. Has held sworn state and federal office since 2021. Entered Congress in 2023, after the 2021 electoral count; no misuse-of-office finding found.
Source: Wikipedia, Mike Lawler
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Cait Conley. A West Point graduate who served 16 years in the Army, on the National Security Council staff and as CISA's senior election security official. Has not held elected office.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Cait Conley, Associated Press via Connecting Vets
Mike Lawler. In the U.S. House since January 2023, now seeking a third term; served in the New York Assembly from 2021 to 2022.
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Cait Conley. Answered River Journal questions on immigration, Iran, cost of living and infrastructure with general positions and a few specifics, such as expanding the federal BRIC grant program.
Source: River Journal, 5 Questions
Mike Lawler. Chairs the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa, sits on Financial Services, and has sponsored four bills that were enacted.
Source: GovTrack, committee membership
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Cait Conley. Answered a River Journal candidate questionnaire and took part in a forum and a televised debate. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey.
Sources: River Journal, 5 Questions, News 12, Aug. 20, 2026, Ballotpedia, Cait Conley
Mike Lawler. Offers an e-newsletter, holds town halls, debates and publishes detailed issue pages; answered River Journal's candidate questions. Has no Ballotpedia survey found.
Sources: Office site, home page, Campaign site, Issues, River Journal, 5 Questions
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Cait Conley. Lives in Millwood, in the 17th District. FEC by-state totals show about 54 percent of itemized individual contributions from New York.
Sources: River Journal, 5 Questions, FEC contribution totals by state
Mike Lawler. Raised in Suffern and lives in Pearl River, both in Rockland County in the district, and represented the area in the Assembly. FEC by-state totals show about 39 percent of itemized individual contributions from New York.
Sources: Wikipedia, Mike Lawler, River Journal, 5 Questions, FEC contribution totals by state
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Cait Conley. Campaign reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026, with $4.3 million raised. No FEC administrative fine record found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Mike Lawler. Campaign reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026, with $8.2 million raised. No FEC administrative fine record found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Cait Conley. No public record found.
Mike Lawler. Rated exceeds expectations by the Center for Effective Lawmaking for the 118th Congress (LES 2.0 of 4.15 against a 1.19 benchmark). Four bills he sponsored were enacted, including the SHIP Act.
Sources: Center for Effective Lawmaking House dataset, 93rd to 118th Congress, GovTrack, enacted legislation
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Cait Conley. No public record found.
Mike Lawler. Missed 28 of 1,917 roll call votes, 1.5 percent, from January 2023 to September 2026.
Source: GovTrack, missed votes
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Cait Conley. No public record found.
Mike Lawler. Reports closing more than 6,000 constituent cases with $27.2 million returned, runs district offices in Pearl River and Mahopac, and holds town halls.
Sources: Office site, home page, WAMC via WSHU, April 28, 2025
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Cait Conley. No public record found.
Mike Lawler. Lugar Center Bipartisan Index score of 2.21337 for the 118th Congress (2023), ranked 4 of 436, in the top quarter.
Source: Lugar Center and McCourt School Bipartisan Index, House Scores
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Cait Conley. No public record found.
Mike Lawler. No public record found.
How to read this
Each criterion is scored 0 to 4 against the written rubric in the Ballot Standard. NR means no record: there is no reliable public evidence either way, so the criterion is left out and never counts against the candidate. A total is published when at least 8 of 15 criteria have evidence.
A sitting officeholder has a longer public record than a first-time candidate, so the two totals rest on different amounts of evidence. Read the count of criteria beside each score. Low marks require an official finding or a primary record. Allegations and opinion are not used.
No policy position is scored. Evidence checked October 9, 2026. Campaigns and readers can send a correction with a public source to tpg@thepoliticalgroup.com.
Questions
Who should I vote for in New York's 17th Congressional District?
Mike Lawler has the strongest record in New York's 17th Congressional District. Mike Lawler scores 75 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Cait Conley at 53, as of October 9, 2026. Mike Lawler's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Cait Conley's highest marks are relevant experience. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in New York's 17th Congressional District in 2026?
Cait Conley (Democratic), Mike Lawler (Republican, incumbent). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Cait Conley a good candidate for Congress?
Cait Conley scores 53 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 9 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 55 of 100, performance no record. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is Mike Lawler a good candidate for Congress?
Mike Lawler scores 75 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 14 of 15 criteria: character 60 of 100, qualifications 80 of 100, performance 88 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
How is the strongest record decided?
The candidate with the highest Ballot Standard score has the strongest record. Each of 15 criteria on character, qualifications and performance is scored 0 to 4 from public records and established reporting, the same way for every party. No policy position is scored, and unresolved accusations never move a score.
More on this race: every New York race scored, and the New York 2026 election guide. Independent scorecard by The Political Group, not affiliated with any candidate or party.