2026 New York (NY-17) US House Voters Guide

Cait Conley (D) vs Mike Lawler (R)

House of Representatives | Election | Nov 3, 2026

The Candidates

Cait Conley

Cait Conley

Democrat

 Mike Lawler

Mike Lawler

Republican

Incumbent

The Issues

Abortion

Ban or legal?

Cait Conley (D)

Legal. “There is a war on women’s healthcare right now.” Said the overturning of Roe v. Wade “stripped millions of women…of essential, and often life-saving, care.” Would pass “Roe v. Wade into law to restore a woman’s right to make personal healthcare decisions without interference from politicians.”

Mike Lawler (R)

Mixed. “I am personally pro-life.” Would “never support a federal ban on abortion” because it’s a decision to be “made by the voters” in each state. Voted to introduce criminal penalties for healthcare practitioners who fail to provide the required degree of care for an infant who survives an attempted abortion. Supports access to IVF and mifepristone.

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Climate Change

Should climate change be a top priority?

Cait Conley (D)

Yes. “We need to address climate change with the urgency of the national security crisis that it is.” Would invest in “clean energy” and expand “federal investments in solar, wind, and geothermal projects.” Calls for the U.S. to “rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement.”

Mike Lawler (R)

Mixed. Calls extreme heat caused by climate change “a big issue that we have to tackle.” Supports an “all-of-the-above energy strategy that includes natural gas, nuclear, and renewables.” Voted to end Biden-era clean energy tax credits. Voted to repeal clean energy provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act.

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Criminal Justice

How to ensure effectiveness and fairness in law enforcement?

Cait Conley (D)

“Our first responders are missing critical resources to actually do their jobs.” Would “fight to make sure [they] have the equipment they need.”

Mike Lawler (R)

Opposes “cashless bail” and “soft-on-crime policies.” Sponsored a bill to fund de-escalation training, retention, and recruitment for local police. Supports qualified immunity for police. “I remain committed to backing our blue.”

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Economy

Cut or increase government investment in, and regulation of, the economy?

Cait Conley (D)

Mostly increase. Would expand federal grants to rebuild infrastructure. Would increase funding and cut “outdated red tape” to build affordable housing. Supports “advancing safety standards” for AI and regulating data centers. Supports “expanding access to affordable capital” and “cutting red tape” for small businesses.

Mike Lawler (R)

Mixed. “We must eliminate waste, fraud and abuse…without cutting off critical funding for…safety net programs.” Would “stop out-of-control federal spending.” Introduced a housing bill to “incentivize construction, reduce regulatory barriers, and expand homeownership.” Supported investigations into alleged financial wrong doing.

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Education

Use public funding for private and/or for-profit schools?

Cait Conley (D)

No. Opposes “voucher programs that strip funding from our public education system.” Would “never waver on my support for…public schools.” Would reject “voucher programs.”

Mike Lawler (R)

Yes. Sponsored a bill allowing federal tax credits for donations to private school scholarships. Voted for a bill that includes such credits. “A child’s zip code should never determine the quality of their schooling.”

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Environment

Loosen or tighten environmental regulations?

Cait Conley (D)

Tighten. “We need to take real steps to protect our environment and our future.” Would address “PFAS in our water by increasing testing, removal, and prevention efforts.” Would enforce “strict environmental standards on corporations to stop corporate polluters.” Opposes reopening the Indian Point Nuclear Energy Center.

Mike Lawler (R)

Mixed. “Ensuring we preserve our environment & open spaces for future generations is…critical.” Supported full funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Voted to end a 20-year protection against mining at the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Supports reopening the Indian Point Nuclear Energy Center.

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Gun Laws

Loosen or tighten gun laws?

Cait Conley (D)

Tighten. Would “enact commonsense safety measures–like red flag laws and universal background checks–that preserve the 2nd Amendment while also protecting American families.” “Weapons of war…do not belong on our streets.” Opposes a bill allowing concealed carry of guns across state lines. “We cannot accept gun violence as the price of living in America.”

Mike Lawler (R)

Mixed.Supports the constitutional rights of law-abiding Americans to keep and bear arms.” “Supports red flag laws – so long as they mandate full due process.” Introduced a bill banning firearms that can be sneaked past metal detectors. Opposes an assault weapons ban and expanded background checks. As a NY state lawmaker, supported efforts to limit ghost guns.

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Health Care

Increase or decrease government support for health care?

Cait Conley (D)

Increase. “We need to restore the ACA premium tax credits.” Supports a “public option” that is not Obamacare, “to lower healthcare premiums through greater competition.” Would allow “everyone to opt in to” such option. Opposes a bill that cut Medicaid. Says Medicaid and Medicare are “non-negotiable.”

Mike Lawler (R)

Mixed. Signed a petition that forced a vote on a 3-year extension of Affordable Care Act premium  tax credits, then voted for the extension. Said the ACA “as designed is not working…but…to allow the tax credits to expire would hurt” Americans. Voted for a bill that cut Medicaid. Wants “only eligible recipients” to receive Medicaid benefits.

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Immigration

How to handle immigration?

Cait Conley (D)

Would have voted against DHS funding.” Calls for “reining in ICE” and focusing “enforcement on violent criminals.” Says “we do need to invest in our border security” for an immigration system with a “humane and timely” process. Supports “a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants and Dreamers who are already part of our communities.”

Mike Lawler (R)

Voted to increase ICE funding by $75 billion, then for $70 billion more for DHS. Voted to build 900 miles of border wall, limit asylum, and require employers to use E-Verify. Opposes sanctuary jurisdictions. Supports “a path to legal status—not citizenship—for long-term illegal immigrants without criminal records.”

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Iran

Support the war in Iran?

Cait Conley (D)

No. “It’s time to…end this reckless war in Iran.” Says the war lacks “clearly defined objectives.” Calls for Congressional authorization for U.S. military action in Iran. Supports “diplomacy to ensure Iran never gets a nuclear weapon.”

Mike Lawler (R)

Yes. “I support the President’s decision to strike Iran.” Voted against requiring Congressional authorization for U.S. military action in Iran in March, April, May, June, and July. “Iran remains the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism.”

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Labor

Make it easier or harder for unions to organize?

Cait Conley (D)

Easier. Union workers and organized labor are the backbone of our communities, which is why I will always fight for them.” Would pass the PRO Act to expand and protect employees’ organizing and collective bargaining rights.

Mike Lawler (R)

Easier. “I’ll continue to stand up for organized labor workers.” Sponsored a bill to require companies to begin collective bargaining 10 days after union certification. Sponsored a bill to restore federal employees’ collective bargaining.

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LGBTQ Rights

Limit or expand LGBTQ rights?

Cait Conley (D)

Expand. Would “never stop fighting to make sure that every person has the same protections and equal rights…regardless of how they identify…or who they love.” “What is happening to our trans community? How it has been a political tool of the right to promote hate – it is wrong, it is un-American. It is not who we are as a nation.”

Mike Lawler (R)

Mixed. Introduced a bill to fund crisis hotline services for LGBTQ+ youth. Voted against making it a crime to provide gender-affirming care to minors. Voted to deny transgender care for military personnel. Voted to ban transgender students from women’s school sports. “LGBTQ+ people…deserve to be treated with dignity.”

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Taxes

Raise or lower taxes on corporations and wealthier individuals?

Cait Conley (D)

Raise. Would “fight for a tax system where everyone pays their fair share.” Opposes “de­ci­sions that make life harder for work­ing families while billionaires are get­ting record tax breaks.”

Mike Lawler (R)

Lower. Voted to extend the 2017 Trump tax cuts, which included the largest one-time cut in the corporate tax rate. “Taxing the rich is not going to close our budget deficit.”

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Voting Rules

Make voting harder or easier?

Cait Conley (D)

Easier. Says a bill requiring proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections is “a tool for voter suppression.” Supports a bill requiring certain states to get preapproval for changes in voter access practices.

Mike Lawler (R)

Harder. Voted to require proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections. Sponsored similar bills in 2024 and 2025. Says requiring “proof of citizenship and photo ID” is “not a controversial stance.”

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