Back in January, toward the end of a Democratic candidate’s forum for the NY-17 congressional primary race at Nyack Center in downtown Nyack, Peter Chatzky, the gregarious former mayor of Briarcliff Manor who would later drop out of the crowded race in April, sarcastically apologized for disagreeing with one of the six other candidates.
Chatzky said his fellow candidate’s assessment that whoever emerged from the the crowded and increasingly contentious Democratic primary would not be “100 times” better than incumbent Republican Mike Lawler.
In fact, Chatzky said, that candidate would be “10,000 times better.”
The exchange perfectly encapsulates the battle to take on Lawler, which will undoubtedly be one of the most competitive and scrutinized races in the entire country this summer and fall.
If you listened to or watched any of the NY-17 forums (which you can do by clicking on any of the clips and links posted below), the candidates almost universally agree on 99.9 percent of issues.
The only question they do not agree on is who is best equipped to take on Lawler, a rising star in the state’s Republican party with a national profile who has, so far, successfully fended off well-funded Democrats during in the past two election cycles.
Lawler’s opponent this time around will be up to the voters, who have a rare opportunity to participate in a competitive election, both during this upcoming primary and in the general election in November.
The NY-17, which includes all of Rockland County and a large chunk of Westchester (as well as part of southern Dutchess County), is one of only 18 congressional races that Cook Political Report considered toss-ups (and only another 17 are considered leaning slightly toward one party), while the other 400 races (92% of House elections!) are not considered competitive at all.
That only 8 percent of the population even has a decent chance to sway an election for our biggest governing body is a sad commentary on the country’s ultra-gerrymandered political landscape. But nonetheless, we’ll do our best to get you prepared to take advantage of this extraordinary opportunity.
We’ll return shortly to the NY-17 candidates, which now includes “only” five candidates (Chatzky and Trump-purged former FBI agent John Sullivan, a Piermont resident, have since dropped out since that Nyack forum in January).
First, though, let’s provide you with the most important voting information, all courtesy of Rockland Board of Election website.
Early voting starts Saturday, June 13!
What are the Election Dates?
- Primary Election Tuesday June 23, 2026
- General Election – Tuesday, November 3, 2026
Polls are open from 6 am until 9 pm.
When is Early Voting?
- Primary Election – June 13th through June 21st, 2026
- General Election – October 24th through November 1st, 2026
Where do I vote?
Use the Polling Place Look-up tool.
(Excludes School, Library, Fire District Elections and Early Voting.)
Note: Sample ballots are available on the Polling Place look-up.
How do I get an absentee ballot or an Early Mail Ballot?
Please see our Absentee Ballot page for more information.
Rockland Candidates
Below is a list of all of the candidates running for office in Rockland County:
Spotlight on Heated NY-17 Democratic Race
The most high-profile and competitive of all of these races is, of course, the NY-17 race, which include Effie Guadalupe Phillips-Staley, Cait Conley, Beth Davidson, John Cappello and Michael Sacks (meet them all below).
The race is definitely competitive, but two candidates have clearly emerged as the top contenders, Nyack’s own Beth Davidson, a former Nyack school board member who is currently serving in the Rockland County legislature, and Cait Conley, a Westchester-based former combat veteran who served in the Biden administration.
The two are increasingly going at each other as the race comes down to the final days, with Davidson accusing Conley of being paid by companies with ties to the Trump administration’s controversial immigration efforts (which both candidates have condemned), while Conley accused Davidson of distorting the truth and resorting to “disgusting” tactics.
By all accounts, the race appears close.
According to four polls posted by the New York Times, Conley and Davidson each won two, with Davidson showing the highest margin of +11 and Conley the smallest margin of +1 — the others had Davidson at +6 and Conley at +7.
Meanwhile, Phillips-Staley consistently finished third, with the others showing a miniscule level of support from those limited polls (Chatzky finished third in two of the polls).
In all of the polls, a large percentage (between 38-48 percent) indicated they were undecided. Perhaps you are one of them.
Meet all of the NY-17 candidates here (apologies for the sub-optimal audio):
Here’s a full forum, also from January:
Here’s a a link to a forum focused on the candidates’ thoughts on healthcare.
Here’s a pretty decent AI-generated overview of the NY-17 race from Bedford town supervisor candidate Don Scott.
And finally, here’s a NY-17 recent forum hosted by WNYC’s Brian Lehrer (it does not include John Cappello. Lehrer says “control of Congress could run across the Tappan Zee Bridge” — bless your heart, Brian Lehrer!):
Don’t forget to vote!
