The NY-17 Congressional District Representative had proposed a series of public debates, back in June of 2026.
by Kim Anderson, Assistant Editor
PEARL RIVER, N.Y. — The reelection campaign of Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Lawler said Friday that Democratic challenger Cait Conley has declined proposed debates on CNN and NBC, escalating a dispute between the candidates over debates in the closely watched race for New York’s 17th Congressional District.
According to the Lawler campaign, Conley’s campaign formally declined an Aug. 30 debate proposed for CNN’s State of the Union with Dana Bash and a Sept. 6 debate proposed for NBC’s Meet the Press with Kristen Welker.
The campaign had announced Wednesday that Lawler accepted invitations for four televised debates: CNN on Aug. 30, NBC on Sept. 6, News 12 on Sept. 28 and PIX11 on Oct. 14. It also said potential debates involving CBS2 and The Journal News were being discussed.
COMING SOON: Rockland News will post the response of Ms. Conley’s campaign here. (Bookmark this link to return)
Ciro Riccardi, a spokesman for Lawler’s campaign, argued that Conley’s refusal to participate in the two national television appearances showed she was unwilling to face Lawler on a prominent stage. The campaign characterized Conley as “grossly unprepared” and accused her advisers of keeping her away from the debates.
Six Weeks Since Original Debate Challenge
The criticism comes after weeks of public pressure from Lawler, who first challenged Conley to participate in six televised debates following the June Democratic primary. Lawler renewed the challenge in July and has continued to make the debate issue a focus of his campaign.
The Lawler campaign also pointed to earlier comments by Conley criticizing the congressman over debates. Lawler’s campaign cited comments Conley made during a June appearance on Morning Joe and remarks at an April Democratic primary forum as evidence that she had previously expressed eagerness to confront the incumbent. Those descriptions were also included in Lawler’s Aug. 12 campaign statement.
Friday’s statement said Conley has also not accepted the proposed Sept. 28 News 12 or Oct. 14 PIX11 debates. The campaign said Lawler remains willing to participate in the CNN and NBC debates if Conley changes course.
The dispute is unfolding in one of the nation’s most competitive congressional races. Conley, an Army combat veteran and former national security official, won the Democratic nomination in June and is challenging Lawler, who is seeking a third term.
The 17th District includes parts of the Lower Hudson Valley and New York City suburbs. Democratic nominee Kamala Harris carried the district by about 0.6 percentage points in 2024 during her run for President of the United States. In contrast, Lawler won reelection that year by more than six percentage points over Democrat candidate Mondaire Jones.
The general election is scheduled for Nov. 3rd, 2026, currently 80 days from today (8/14/2026).