Cait Conley

Working-Class Roots, A Lifetime of Service

Cait Conley is a fourth-generation Hudson Valley native from a working-class family who was raised with a deep appreciation for hard work, service, and community. Her mother spent 48 years serving local families as a postal worker, while her father worked in construction. For generations, her family helped build and strengthen their communities. 

Everything changed for Cait on September 11, 2001. As a junior at Pine Bush High School, she watched the Twin Towers fall and felt a calling to serve her country. The very next day, she began her application to the United States Military Academy at West Point. She went on to graduate in the top 2% of her class, becoming the first person in her family to earn a college degree. Cait later earned advanced degrees from MIT and Harvard, building the expertise that would define her career in national security and public service. From the Hudson Valley to the highest levels of government, Cait has dedicated her life to protecting the country and the values she believes in.

A Record of Service and Results

For more than 16 years, Cait served as an active-duty Army officer, deploying six times to combat zones including Iraq and Afghanistan. She led American servicemembers in some of the most challenging environments in the world and became one of the first women to serve in Special Operations leadership. Her service earned her three Bronze Stars and a reputation for exceptional leadership under pressure. 

After her military career, Cait continued serving the nation at the highest levels of government. As director for counterterrorism on the National Security Council at the White House, she worked to protect Americans from emerging threats and strengthen national security. Later, at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, she helped safeguard critical infrastructure and election systems, working to defend the integrity of American democracy. Throughout her career, Cait has been called upon to solve complex challenges, bring people together, and deliver results. Whether in combat zones, the White House Situation Room, or federal agencies protecting critical infrastructure, she has built a record of leadership focused on keeping Americans safe and strengthening the country’s future.

Cait is running for Congress because she believes Hudson Valley families deserve leadership that understands their challenges and is prepared to deliver solutions from day one. She knows that too many families are struggling with rising costs, unaffordable housing, crumbling infrastructure, and healthcare that remains out of reach. She believes the government should work for the people it serves and she is committed to lowering costs for working families, expanding access to affordable healthcare, investing in education and infrastructure, protecting democracy, and creating economic opportunities that allow communities to thrive.

Critical Flip Opportunity in NY-17

Cait Conley  is running to flip  New York’s 17th Congressional District, one of the most competitive and consequential races in the country. NY-17 is currently represented by MAGA loyalist Rep. Mike Lawler who has spent his time in office voting against the interests of his district. He voted to raise costs for working families in order to give tax cuts to the ultra wealthy, rubber stamped Trump’s reckless cost-raising war four times, and voted to rip healthcare and food assistance programs away from millions of Americans. Cait has spent her career answering the call service and taking on tough challenges. Now, she is ready to bring that same sense of duty, courage, and problem-solving leadership to Congress. EMILYs List is proud to support her in this race to flip this seat and take back the U.S. House in November.