It's the Brian Laris show on WNYC. Good Friday morning, everybody. Today we continue a series of forums

with candidates in competitive congressional primaries in New York. These are also of

interest nationally, largely because the New York Democratic primaries reflect tensions in the party

and the American people as a whole nationwide. And also in this case, because New York's 17th

congressional district covering four counties north of New York City

is expected to be one of the most in play swing districts in the country in November,

with Republican Congressman Mike Lawler seen potentially very vulnerable in a district that has gone back and forth in recent years.

So control of Congress, you might say, could run across the Tappinsey Bridge.

New York 17 includes all of Rockland and Putnam counties, also Westchester,

north of the bridge, north of the Tappanzee or Mario Cuomo Bridge, as you prefer, and Southern Duchess County

from the Connecticut line west to around Hopel Junction north of I-84.

According to Data USA, the district is about 63% white, 10 to 12% Latino, 7% black, 5% Asian. Notably, it's got both suburban and rural areas with some

small urban pockets, meaningful Orthodox Jewish and Haitian communities, among others, and is

genuinely a purple district, voting majority for Kamala Harris in the last presidential election,

though the Republican Lawler won for Congress.

Joining us now to answer some of my questions and yours are the four candidates considered

the most serious contenders in the Democratic primary, based on criteria that we use, for example, they each have more than

500 donors. They are Rockland County legislator, Beth Davidson. Her campaign website calls her

bipartisan problem solver. Kate Conley, a former Biden administration national security council member and an army veteran whose website

starts with she never backs down from a fight, Kate Conley, Effie Phillips Staley, a Terrytown Village

trustee, a non-profit executive whose website bio begins that she has dedicated her life to social justice and public

service. And Mike Sacks, a lawyer-turned-TV journalist, as his website says, it also calls him

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