New York, NY – After her strong victory in the June primary, Food & Water Action has endorsed Cait Conley for Congress in New York’s 17th district. She faces Republican incumbent Mike Lawler in November.

With a goal of lowering costs for working families and taking on corruption in Washington, Conley will fight for restrictions on data centers to lower energy bills and protect Hudson Valley communities. Conley also promises to defend and expand essential programs like Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP), and clean water funding, as well as invest in clean energy like solar and wind.

Rep. Lawler, Conley’s opponent, hasn’t spoken out against the several data center projects proposed in his district, including proposals in Orangeburg, East Fishkill, and at Indian Point in Buchanan. Lawler has also criticized Governor Hochul’s recent implementation of a moratorium on large-scale data centers statewide. Lawler, a former fossil fuel lobbyist, accepted thousands of dollars from the corporate PAC for Phillips 66, Exxon, Chevron and Marathon Petroleum. He has voted in favor of expanding drilling and fracking on public lands and waters, cutting environmental protections, increasing fossil fuel exports, and undercutting renewable energy growth. 

“Cait Conley is committed to fighting the affordability and environmental crises posed by out-of-control data center development. We’re joining her in the fight to protect working families in New York by ousting Mike Lawler, a disingenuous and failed Congressman harming New Yorkers,” said Laura Shindell, New York state director for Food & Water Action.

Along with supporting the out-of-control data center construction frenzy, Rep. Lawler also supported eliminating SNAP access for more than 2 million people, co-sponsored a water privatization bill that would drive up customer rates, and voted to take away over $125 million in funding for replacing dangerous lead water lines nationwide. Children are especially vulnerable to lead poisoning, and 21 school districts in Rockland and Westchester Counties alone have unsafe levels of lead.

Food & Water Action is dedicated to defeating Lawler, helping Democrats take back Congress on November 3 and protecting New Yorkers from the dangerous Republican agenda.