Candidate also gets nod from Dutchess
The Putnam County Democratic Committee voted on Monday (April 20) to endorse Cait Conley to challenge Mike Lawler for his U.S. House seat in November. The district includes Philipstown.
"In a race among strong Democratic candidates, Cait Conley has the x-factor that we think will give us the best chance to beat Mike Lawler in November," said Jennifer Colamonico, the committee chair. She said Conley received 63 percent of the vote on the first ballot.
Conley is a West Point graduate from Orange County and former director of counterterrorism for the National Security Council.
The other candidates who will appear on the ballot for a June 23 primary are John Cappello, a Rockland native and former defense attaché at the U.S. embassies in Israel and Serbia; Beth Davidson, a Rockland County legislator; Effie Phillips-Staley, a Tarrytown trustee and nonprofit executive; and Mike Sacks, a lawyer and former TV journalist from Westchester.
The Dutchess County Democratic Committee earlier endorsed Conley and Rep. Pat Ryan, the incumbent in House District 18, which includes Beacon.
In Westchester County, Democratic leaders on April 15 declined to endorse in the District 17 race, with its 26 members splitting their votes between Conley and Davidson or abstaining. The other candidates — Cappello, Phillips-Staley and Sacks — did not seek the endorsement, according to the committee.
State Senate
The committee declined to endorse in the race for the state Senate seat held by Republican Rob Rolison that includes the Highlands.
Colamonico said the representatives from the two towns in the district, Philipstown and Putnam Valley, felt that both Evan Menist, a member of the Poughkeepsie Common Council, and Lisa Kaul, a member of the Dutchess Legislature, were "outstanding candidates." A third candidate, Gay Lee, a social worker and former Newburgh City Council member, will also appear on the primary ballot.
The Dutchess Democrats endorsed Kaul for state Senate and Jonathan Jacobson, the Assembly incumbent whose district includes Beacon.
The Putnam Democrats earlier endorsed incumbent Dana Levenberg for the state Assembly seat that includes Philipstown. It also endorsed John Van Tassel for Philipstown supervisor, Brett Yarris for county executive, Dr. Michael Strauss for county coroner and Maia Gilleo, Kathy Kahng and Gwen Burke for the county Legislature.

Putnam Democrats Endorse Conley