The Westchester Democratic Committee is inviting the major Democratic candidates for Congress in the 17th district to a decisive debate. The closely watched campaign for the Democratic nomination to challenge incumbent Republican Mike Lawler has been underway for months. The race is seen nationally as crucial in determining which party controls Congress next year. This debate is intended to help separate the Democratic candidates and their views in advance of a possible endorsement by the County Democratic Party’s Executive Committee and the primary election on June 23rd.
The debate will be held on THURSDAY APRIL 9th at 7 PM at MANHATTANVILLE UNIVERSITY. It will be moderated by two veteran journalists with a long history of reporting on local politics: Jeff Coltin, Editor in Chief of City and State magazine and Barrett Seaman, Editor of The Hudson Independent. Their breath of experience will generate questions designed to help voters know more about the candidates and where they stand on crucial issues.
There are currently six Democrats seeking the party’s nomination in the 17th CD. This debate is to let voters hear from those candidates whose campaigns have gained more traction from the rest. Consequently, candidates will be invited based on several criteria: candidate petitioning (they must qualify to be on the ballot), their standing in publicly available polls or surveys, the funds they have raised including their cash on hand and their significant endorsements. Invitations will be issued during the first week in April, after petitioning is complete.
The press is invited to the debate. There will be a media area for cameras and reporters and individual interviews can be arranged for after the debate. Please let us know if you will be on hand so we can help with whatever needs you may have. The public is being urged to register and attend. The venue holds more than a thousand and we already have hundreds of reservations. The debate will also be streamed live on Zoom and Facebook.
Background:
The 17th is one of only 3 Congressional districts in the country where Kamala Harris won in 2024, but the Democrat lost in the House race. This year, Mike Lawler, who has won the past
two elections in the district, is seen as vulnerable and the race is often described as a toss-up. The closeness of the contest plus the razor thin Republican majority in the House make this a crucial race locally and nationally.
The 17th includes most of western and northern Westchester County as well as most of Rockland County, Putnam County and a slice of Duchess County. This will be the latest in a series of forums sponsored by the Westchester Democratic Committee in Westchester. With a possible party endorsement and the primary election looming, this debate is expected to be decisive in selecting a nominee.
Moderators:
Jeff Coltin is editor-in-chief of City & State NY, recently returning to the magazine where he covered New York politics for more than a decade. He was previously at Politico, co-authoring the New York Playbook. Jeff was named the New York Press Association’s 2022 Writer of the Year.
Barrett Seaman has written and edited for the Hudson Independent for more than a decade. He is the published author of two books and a veteran correspondent and editor of 30 years for Time Magazine. Among other assignments, Barrett was the Senior White House correspondent for Time.