Representative in Congress District 17 in Statewide, New York

2026 Primary Election

• Cait Conley — Candidate for Representative in Congress in Ossining, NY

  Cait Conley is a Democratic candidate for U.S. House in New York's 17th Congressional District. She served 16 years as an active-duty Army officer, including six overseas deployments to combat zones such as Iraq and Afghanistan. Conley later served as the director of counterterrorism on the National Security Council and as a senior advisor for election security at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. She holds degrees from West Point, Harvard, and MIT.

• Effie Phillips-Staley — Tarrytown Village Trustee in Tarrytown, NY

  Effie Phillips-Staley is a non-profit executive and community leader currently serving her third term as a Tarrytown Village Trustee. She has previously served as Vice President for Strategic Advancement at the Hispanic Federation, Executive Director of the Foundation for the Public Schools of the Tarrytowns, and in advancement roles at various cultural institutions. She holds a BA from the University of California, Berkeley. She is running for Congress in New York's 17th District.

• Mike Sacks — Former broadcast journalist and attorney in Croton-on-Hudson, NY

  Mike Sacks is a former broadcast journalist and attorney running for the U.S. House to represent New York's 17th Congressional District. He previously worked as a Supreme Court correspondent for the Huffington Post, a Congressional reporter for the National Law Journal, and a national political reporter for Scripps. Sacks holds a bachelor's degree from Duke University and a J.D. from Georgetown Law. He currently resides in Croton-on-Hudson, New York.

• John Sullivan — Former FBI Intelligence Analyst in Piermont, NY

  John Sullivan is a former FBI intelligence analyst who ran for the U.S. House of Representatives to represent New York's 17th Congressional District. Raised in a working-class family, Sullivan was the first in his family to earn a four-year degree before joining the FBI. During his nearly two-decade career at the bureau, he combated national security threats and served as a section chief. He launched his congressional campaign in 2025 but later withdrew from the 2026 Democratic primary.

• Beth Davidson — Rockland County Legislator in Nyack, NY

  Beth Davidson is a Rockland County Legislator representing District 10 and a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in New York's 17th Congressional District [1.4]. She serves as Chair of the Legislature's Environmental Committee and Vice Chair of the Economic Development & Housing Committee. Before her election to the County Legislature, Davidson served two terms on the Nyack School Board. She also works as a writer and consultant, and lives in Nyack with her family.

• John Cappello — Candidate for Representative in Congress in Suffern, NY

  John Cappello is a retired U.S. Air Force officer and B-1 Bomber pilot running for Congress in New York's 17th Congressional District. During his more than 25-year military career, he served in key assignments in Ukraine and as an Air Force attaché at the U.S. Embassies in Israel and Serbia. After leaving military service, Cappello worked as a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and as a country manager for Spirit of America.

• Peter Chatzky — Deputy Mayor of Briarcliff Manor in Briarcliff Manor, NY

  Peter Chatzky is a software executive and the Deputy Mayor of Briarcliff Manor, New York. He recently ran as a Democratic candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in New York's 17th Congressional District, but suspended his campaign in April 2026 following controversy over past social media posts. A tech founder with over 40 years of business experience, Chatzky has been involved in local government for over two decades, previously serving as Mayor.

• Jessica Reinmann — Founder of 914Cares in Chappaqua, NY

  Jessica Reinmann is an attorney, nonprofit executive, and community leader based in New York. She earned a political science degree from SUNY Binghamton and a law degree from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. Reinmann began her career as a real estate attorney before transitioning into law firm management. In 2014, she founded 914Cares, a Westchester-based nonprofit that provides essential items to local families in need. She was previously a candidate for the U.S. House in New York's 17th District.

• Michael Lawler — Incumbent Representative in Congress in Pearl River, NY

  Michael Lawler is the U.S. Representative for New York's 17th Congressional District, first elected in 2022. He previously served in the New York State Assembly, representing the 97th district from 2021 to 2022. A graduate of Manhattan College with degrees in accounting and finance, Lawler's career experience includes working as deputy town supervisor in Orangetown, a senior advisor to the Westchester County Executive, and executive director of the New York State Republican Party.