Cait Conley

Working Class Roots in the Hudson Valley

Cait Conley is a proud fourth-generation Hudson Valley native from working-class roots who understands the values of hard work and public service. Cait’s mom, born in Peekskill, was a postal worker for 48 years, serving communities throughout the Hudson Valley. Her dad, born and raised in Hopewell Junction, was a construction worker, and her grandfather and great-grandfather worked in the Montrose brickyard.

Cait was a junior at Pine Bush High School on 9/11 when she watched the Twin Towers fall. In that moment, she felt her calling to serve and protect. The next day, she started her application to the United States Military Academy at West Point, earning a congressional nomination from the late Congressman Maurice Hinchey and eventually graduating in the top 2% of her class. Cait was the first in her family to graduate from college and went on to earn master’s degrees from MIT and Harvard.

Decorated Combat Veteran and National Security Expert

Cait has answered the call to serve our country time and again. She served for 16 years as an active-duty Army officer, deploying overseas six times to combat zones including Iraq and Afghanistan, leading America’s sons and daughters to keep our country safe. She broke barriers as one of the first women in Special Ops leadership, and was awarded three Bronze Stars for displaying “the highest degree of professionalism, sound judgment, and technical and tactical competence while conducting combat operations.”

Cait’s career as a public servant continued here at home, protecting our security and democracy while serving as the Director for Counterterrorism on the National Security Council at the White House (which led to her being banned from Russia). She later helped safeguard our critical infrastructure and election systems at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), defending our democracy by protecting the security and integrity of our elections and by standing up directly to Trump’s Big Lie about the 2020 election.

During her service at the White House and CISA, Cait worked directly with Congress on some of the most complex threats facing our country, including drafting and reviewing federal legislation to address critical national security issues and keep American families safe. She led efforts to strengthen the security and resilience of our nation’s critical infrastructure — from the water we drink, to the energy that powers our homes. From combat zones to the White House Situation Room, Cait’s been in the room where crucial decisions get made and has a proven track record of delivering for the American people. She’s the only candidate in this race who’s prepared to enter Congress on Day One and deliver results for NY-17.

Why She’s Running — and Why She’s Ready

Cait has put her life on the line to defend this country. Today, she looks around and sees a nation she barely recognizes, an administration abusing its powers to punish political opponents, a country being pushed in the wrong direction, chaos abroad, and reckless tariffs that are raising costs for hard-working families. The same politicians who created this mess won’t be the ones who fix it. She has the courage to do what’s right, the strength to fight and win against Donald Trump and his enablers like Mike Lawler, and the leadership to deliver results on Day One.

Here in NY-17, families are increasingly getting priced out, shut out of opportunities, and feeling left behind. Our infrastructure is crumbling. Housing is unaffordable. And quality healthcare is out of reach for far too many.

Cait is not a lifelong politician or political operative. Throughout her career, Cait has been called upon to solve the toughest problems and deliver. And with the stakes this high, there’s no time for on-the-job training. That’s why Cait is running for Congress – to stop the talk and actually deliver on a better future for New Yorkers.