Mike Lawler and Cait Conley clash in NY-17 race

Republican Congressman Mike Lawler and Democratic challenger Cait Conley are engaged in a heated campaign for New York’s 17th Congressional District, with disputes arising over both debate schedules and energy policy.

Lawler has criticized Conley for declining invitations to participate in televised debates on national programs such as NBC’s ‘Meet the Press’ and CNN’s ‘State of the Union,’ though Conley has agreed to debates hosted by News 12 and PIX11. Conley’s campaign has instead emphasized upcoming candidate forums. The disagreement follows previous accusations from Conley that Lawler was unwilling to face her in debate settings.

On the issue of energy, Lawler is advocating for the reopening of the Indian Point nuclear power plant to combat rising electricity costs in the Hudson Valley. He noted that electricity prices have increased by 58 percent since the plant's closure in 2021. Conley has expressed strong opposition to reopening the facility, previously describing the proposal as ‘dumb’ during a forum.