Rep. Mike Lawler rips rival Cait Conley over AI data centers in hard-hitting ad for battleground NY district

Republican Rep.Mike Lawler unloaded on his Democratic rival in a hard-hitting TV ad claiming she supports unpopular artificial intelligence data centers and mentioning her six-figure consulting work with AI firms.The ad for the increasingly heated general election race in the Hudson Valley’s battleground 17th congressional district opens with a dark video of Army veteran Conley saying, “We need data centers.”“Cait Conley has hundreds of thousands of reasons why she wants to build data centers in the Hudson Valley,” the narrator says.

“Conley took a massive six-figure payday from the AI companies she steered contracts to when she worked for Biden.“No wonder Conley wants them.”A note appears across the screen stating Conley was paid $328,000 combined by AI firms Primer and Hidden Level, which received federal defense contracts, including during her time as national security adviser to former President Joe Biden.Conley appears again in the 30-second spot saying, “We need data centers.We’re not going to get rid of them.”Lawler then appears in the ad looking directly into the camera.“I’m Mike Lawler and I approve this message because I’ll protect our community for your family and mine,” he says in the spot.The video ends with a cheery video clip of Lawler with his wife and two daughters.The nearly seven-figure ad coordinated by Lawler and the National Republican Congressional Campaign Committee will run over nine days on broadcast and cable TV, streaming services and digital and social media sites, according to Lawler’s camp.The 17th District, which includes Rockland County and portions of Westchester, Putnam, and Dutchess counties, is a target to flip for Democrats as they fight to regain control of the House in November’s midterm elections.The seat has the potential to determine which party controls Congress heading into 2027.Independent campaign analysts, such as the Cook Political Report and the University of Virginia’s Center fo...