Lesbian combat veteran Cait Conley unseats Republican Mike Lawler in New York U.S. House race

New York voters have elected Cait Conley to Congress, sending a lesbian Army combat veteran who served under “don’t ask, don’t tell” to Washington and flipping a Republican-held House seat.

Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Lawler conceded to Conley late Tuesday in New York’s 17th Congressional District, ending his bid for a third term in one of the country’s closely watched House contests. Conley accepted his concession and delivered a victory speech that night.

Lawler acknowledged that outstanding ballots in Westchester County would leave him without enough votes to win.

“When all of the votes are counted tomorrow in Westchester, it’s going to be pretty clear that we will be short,” he told supporters in Pearl River, City & State reported.

The concession came as election officials worked through a counting delay in Westchester, where a programming error prevented scanners from reading ballots at most polling locations. Voters placed ballots in secure emergency bags, and officials said those votes would be counted.

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The Hudson Valley contest was among the opportunities LGBTQ+ political leaders identified as consequential to the fight for House control. In an October interview with The Advocate, Equality PAC co-chair Mark Takano pointed to candidates including Conley as potential sources of Democratic gains.

Conley’s public service career began in the military. According to LGBTQ+ Victory Fund’s endorsement announcement, she graduated from West Point, spent 16 years as an active-duty Army officer, and deployed six times. She later worked at the National Security Council and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.

She served during an era when federal policy barred gay and lesbian troops from serving openly. Her campaign put support for LGBTQ+ rights alongside her military and national security experience.

In endorsing Conley in July, the Human Rights Campaign PAC cited her support for the Equality Act and health care access for LGBTQ+ people, including transgender youth and people living with HIV.

The campaign also attracted national Democratic support. Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg appeared at a September rally for Conley in Tarrytown.