Research Profile
Cait Conley is a decorated Army veteran and a fourth-generation Hudson Valley native who is running as a Democratic candidate for New York's 17th Congressional District in 2026. Her background includes extensive military service, having served as a Special Operations combat veteran and in various national security roles, including at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the National Security Council at the White House (Leadership Now Project; Cait Conley - LinkedIn). She studied at the United States Military Academy at West Point, earning a Bachelor's degree in Comparative Politics, which laid the foundation for her military and public service career (West Point - CTC; Pat Tillman Foundation). Her professional experience includes serving as a Senior Advisor at CISA, Director for Counterterrorism at the White House, and an Operations Officer in Army Special Operations, demonstrating her commitment to public service and national security (LinkedIn; Facebook). She announced her candidacy for Congress emphasizing her military service, national security expertise, and dedication to her community, with campaign issues focusing on education, jobs, resilience, and fighting for working Americans (Cait Conley - Campaign website; Yahoo News). Her campaign emphasizes service, national security, and veteran issues, reflecting her military background. She advocates for robust healthcare access, reforming immigration policies, promoting social equity, fighting for affordable healthcare, improving public education, addressing climate change, and strengthening veteran services. She also highlights transparency, accountability, and fighting corruption in government (substack article; YouTube interview). Conley positions herself as a progressive Democrat focused on community engagement, social justice, and national security, aiming to appeal to a broad voter base (WAMC forum). Her campaign has received notable news coverage from reputable outlets such as The New York Times, Reuters, and Yahoo, highlighting her military background and her efforts to flip NY-17 from Republican to Democrat (NY Times). Polling data suggests she is a strong contender, with some polls indicating she is the most viable Democrat to defeat the incumbent. She has secured endorsements from prominent figures including Rep. Pat Ryan and local Democratic committees, reflecting strong party support (lohud.com, riverjournalonline.com). No notable controversies have been reported, and her military service and polling support are central themes in her campaign narrative.