SouthernWorldwide.com – A Democratic House hopeful in a highly competitive district has remained silent following support from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for her campaign.
Ocasio-Cortez, a prominent progressive figure within the Democratic Party, publicly endorsed former Biden administration official Cait Conley after her primary victory. The endorsement was made via a social media post on Wednesday.
“I look forward to working together as a delegation as we fight for working families across New York,” Ocasio-Cortez stated in her post.
The congresswoman also recognized another Democrat aiming to succeed retiring Rep. Jerrold Nadler and three socialist candidates endorsed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
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Conley has not yet responded to Ocasio-Cortez’s endorsement or addressed the three far-left candidates. These candidates, including New York official Brad Lander, State Assembly member Claire Valdez, and activist Darializa Avila-Chevalier, have publicly advocated for abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), are vocal critics of Israel, and have pledged to champion the Palestinian cause in Congress.
Conley’s opponent in the general election, Rep. Mike Lawler, a Republican, believes she should be held accountable for these associations.
“The Hudson Valley deserves an answer, and so far all we’ve heard is your damning silence,” Lawler commented.
Lander and Avila-Chevalier have previously called for defunding the police. Avila-Chevalier has also continued to advocate for prison abolition and an end to all deportations. Furthermore, Avila-Chevalier shared a post questioning Israel’s right to exist and co-founded a pro-Palestinian group at Columbia University that advocated for the “total eradication of Western civilization.”
These three Mamdani-backed candidates are anticipated to strengthen the ranks of “the Squad,” an informal bloc of progressive lawmakers closely aligned with Ocasio-Cortez, who also supports abolishing ICE.
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This scrutiny arises after Conley avoided criticizing the socialist candidates during an interview with MS NOW on Thursday.
When questioned about socialist candidates who support prison abolition and have made controversial statements regarding 9/11, Conley chose to discuss her personal background rather than directly answer the question.
“I joined the Army and went to West Point because of 9/11 because I watched the suffering and pain that we as a nation, we as a state, we as the Hudson Valley, experienced that day,” Conley stated. “And so when you talk about the American government’s responsibility to the people, it is to keep it safe.”
“While, you know, folks were elected down in New York City, in New York-17, Democratic voters chose a West Point grad and 16-year Army combat veteran to be their representative in this fight this fall,” Conley added, referring to herself.
Aber Kawas, a socialist and pro-Palestinian activist who won a Democratic primary for a New York State Senate seat, appeared to justify the 9/11 attacks in a resurfaced 2017 video.
Conley has previously faced criticism regarding her role on former President Joe Biden’s national security team. Lawler has alleged that she minimized her involvement in the chaotic 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal, which occurred during her tenure on the National Security Council.
This battleground race is projected to be one of the most fiercely contested in the nation. National Republicans are expected to actively support Lawler’s bid for a third term in the House.
The nonpartisan Cook Political Report currently rates the contest as a “toss-up,” a shift that favored Democrats earlier this year.
In the 2024 election, former Vice President Kamala Harris narrowly won this purple district, where Democrats hold a significant voter registration advantage.
