Washington, DC – Equality PAC released the following statement congratulating Congresswoman-elect Cait Conley on her hard-fought victory in New York’s 17th Congressional District, where she defeated Republican incumbent Mike Lawler in one of the most competitive congressional races in the country. Conley makes history as the first LGBTQ woman elected to Congress from the state of New York.
“Equality PAC recognized that Cait Conley had the experience, leadership, and ability to compete in one of the most important battleground districts in the country,” said Equality PAC. “We invested critical resources to help her navigate a highly competitive primary and ensure that the strongest candidate was positioned to take on Mike Lawler and flip this seat. That investment was about more than one race; it was about winning the seats necessary to secure a Pro-Equality Majority in the House.”
“Cait’s commitment to service began in the aftermath of September 11, when the events of that day inspired her to dedicate her life to serving our country. That calling carried her through a distinguished career in national security and now brings her to Congress, where she will continue serving the American people and fighting for the Hudson Valley,” Equality PAC continued. “The people of NY-17 will have a congresswoman who will stand up for her constituents, hold the Trump administration accountable, and fight for the issues that matter to families across the district. We are incredibly proud to have stood with Cait from day one, and we look forward to seeing her carry that same dedication to service and commitment to equality to Washington.”
Cait Conley is a fourth-generation Hudson Valley native and the daughter of a postal worker and a construction worker. She is a decorated combat veteran and national security expert who has spent her life answering the call to serve. That call began on 9/11, when, as a junior in high school, she watched the Twin Towers fall. The next day, she started the process for applying to West Point — earning acceptance and becoming the first in her family to graduate college and then going on later to attend graduate programs at Harvard and MIT. Cait served 16 years as an active duty Army officer, deploying six times to take down the world’s most dangerous terrorists, and later led counterterrorism efforts on the National Security Council and at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
###
Equality PAC’s primary mission is simple: to elect more LGBTQ+ persons to Congress. Individuals who will have a seat at the table, impact the debate, and humanize the LGBTQ community’s concerns. Beyond this goal, Equality PAC also supports strong LGBTQ community allies who will proudly and unapologetically stand with us in the fight to pass the Equality Act and equal protection under our nation’s laws. All of the funds that Equality PAC raises are directed to re-elect and expand our small – but mighty – LGBTQ caucus and to elect a pro-Equality Majority in the House of Representatives.
In the short time Equality PAC has existed, it has played an unmatched role in making history for the LGBTQ community — electing LGBTQ leaders at the federal level such as current House Members Sharice Davis (KS); Ritchie Torres (NY); Becca Balint (VT); Robert Garcia (CA); Eric Sorensen (IL); Angie Craig (MN); Chris Pappas (NH), Julie Johnson (TX); Emily Randall (WA); and Sarah McBride (DE).
With the elections of Julie, Emily, and Sarah two years ago, we not only made history by electing the first openly LGBTQ person ever elected to Congress from Texas or the South; the first ever queer Latina elected to Congress; and the first trans person ever elected to Congress — but we also DOUBLED the number of LGBTQ women in the House from three to six. And for the first time ever – there is near gender parity within the LGBTQ caucus with six women and seven men serving together in the House. This is an incredible accomplishment. On top of this, six of the 13 LGBTQ persons serving right now in the House are persons of color. These are incredible accomplishments for our community and its representation in Congress.
Already this cycle, Equality PAC has made history with Michigan State Senate President Jeremy Moss — who recently won the Democratic Primary in MI-11 and is all-but-certain to win the general election for this “Safe Democrat” open seat. Once elected and sworn in, Jeremy will be the first LGBTQ person ever elected to Congress from Michigan. Equality PAC has also made history with Janelle Sarauw, who will be the first LGBTQ person ever elected to Congress from the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Equality PAC currently has endorsed 4 additional non-incumbent LGBTQ candidates for the 2026 midterms, including three on the DCCC’s Red2Blue list: JoAnna Mendoza (AZ-06); Marni von Wilpert (CA-48); Cait Conley (NY-17); Scott Wiener (CA-11); and J.D. Ford (IN-05).