Lawyer and former reporter Mike Sacks is the latest Democrat to toss his hat in the ring, joining a field that already includes Rockland County Legislator Beth Davidson, veteran Cait Conley, and 914 Cares Chair Jessica Reinmann. Sacks, a former Supreme Court correspondent for the Huffington Post and political reporter at Fox 5-NY, announced his campaign with an online video Wednesday.
"There's no one in Congress, and certainly not Mike Lawler, who is doing anything to stop the creeping autocracy that's amassing power for itself while pretty much stealing from the rest of us here in this district," Sacks tells WAMC.
Democrats are targeting Lawler as they look to flip the House in the 2026 midterm elections. This week, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee included Lawler on a list of Republicans it views as “vulnerable.” Lawler, who is in his second term, has not yet announced a bid for reelection. He told FOX News he will decide by the middle of the year whether to run for governor in 2026.
In a statement to WAMC, Lawler’s campaign spokesman says: “Two years ago, Democrats cleared the field for a defund-the-police socialist in Mondaire Jones, and he got crushed. This time, their plan appears to be a bloody, expensive primary with an ever-expanding list of candidates fighting to see who’s the most radical liberal. Good luck with that!”
Many of the candidates are tying Lawler to some of the Trump Administration’s latest actions, including the planned closure of the Social Security hearing office in White Plains. Lawler has decried the closure and, with 16th District Democratic Congressman George Latimer, forwarded an offer by Westchester County officials to house the office on county property. The offer was rejected.
He did vote to approve a budget framework passed by Congress in February. Democrats have said the bill could pave the way for cuts to Medicaid and other social services. Beth Davidson says it threatens millions in funding for projects in the 17th District.
“Including law enforcement funding and pedestrian safety here in Rockland County, and clean water and other infrastructure projects around the 17th Congressional District," says Davidson. "We need somebody who will go to bat for them, and not for Donald Trump and Elon Musk. And that’s the kind of fighter that I’ll be for the Hudson Valley.”
The budget is not finalized. A separate package funds the government through September. Lawler has said concerns over cuts to Medicaid and other major services are a lie.
In addition to serving in the Rockland County Legislature, Davidson spent two terms on the Nyack School Board and boasts multiple nonprofit leadership roles. She has the endorsement of former Congressman Mondaire Jones, Lawler’s 2024 opponent and the last Democrat to hold the 17th District seat.
All of the candidates who spoke with WAMC say their focus heading into the primary is affordability. Cait Conley, an Army veteran and former advisor for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, says many Hudson Valley families struggle to make ends meet.
“We’ve got to do better. Another part of that, though, is protecting critical benefits that Hudson Valley families have been paying into," says Conley. "Ensuring that families have access to Medicaid and Medicare."
Overall, Conley says she thinks Democrats need to do more to connect with voters as they look toward the next election season.
“My plan is to get out there and earn the trust, earn the votes of all of the district. Because I truly believe there is far more that unites us, and there are far more values that we share," she adds. "And so that’s really got to be the point: it’s not just what we’re fighting against, but what we’re fighting for.”
Davidson says she’s the candidate with the most direct experience for the job.
“I’m probably one of the only Democrats in the country who can say I’ve cut taxes," says Davidson. "And then also delivered my own common-sense gun safety reform bill, as well as fully funding our law enforcement at every step of the way.”
Primary Day isn’t until June 2026. Sacks says that’s plenty of time to introduce himself to the district.
“The House is going to be the one place in Washington, 2026, 2027, 2028, that may not be controlled by Republicans," he notes. "The House is the place where we can build back from the rubble where Trump and Lawler have left us.”
Jessica Reinmann declined an interview for this story. Other names that have been floated as potential candidates include Effie Philips-Staley, a Village of Tarrytown Trustee, and Neal Zuckerman, who represents Putnam County on the board of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
