The midterm election battle for New York's 17th Congressional District has grabbed the nation's attention, as millions of Americans tune into political reporting and punditry focused on how it could impact control of the House during President Donald Trump's last years in office.
But for the USA TODAY Network journalists on the ground in the Lower Hudson Valley covering the race between Republican Rep. Mike Lawler and Democratic challenger Cait Conley, the story is about much more than power dynamics in Washington, D.C.
For much of the past year, our journalists, led by reporters Chris McKenna, Nancy Cutler and Emily Barnes, have been delivering coverage of this race aimed at giving New Yorkers crucial information about how it could directly impact
them and their communities.
From frontline coverage on the campaign trail to in-depth analysis of how federal laws and policies affect New York, our team's reporting has strived to provide New Yorkers with everything they need to know to make informed decisions as voters.
And with mail-in voting underway, early voting set to begin Oct. 24 and Election Day on Nov. 3 fast approaching, McKenna's latest story has provided a deep dive into where the NY-17 race stands now, delving into key developments in the race so far as well as what to expect in the final weeks.
The Lawler-Conley race is one of about 20 that non-partisan organizations have ranked as toss-ups in the looming battle for control in the 435-seat House, McKenna writes. Republicans hold a razor-thin majority of 218-214 with one independent and two vacancies, meaning a shift of just a few seats to Democrats in November would flip the chamber to their party and pose a new foil for Trump's agenda.
For New Yorkers, all that political calculus boils down to the key issues that McKenna identified in his exclusive interviews with both candidates for his reporting. As McKenna writes: "Affordability is the dominant theme, reverberating in messages about the Iran war and soaring gas prices, tax cuts, rising utility rates, and health insurance."
And when the election dust settles and a winner emerges in this race and other key showdowns in New York, the USA TODAY Network and The Journal News will be there to keep asking tough questions to ensure candidates are held accountable for the political promises made during the campaign.
If you subscribe to any of the USA TODAY Network’s New York news outlets, including The Journal News/lohud, thank you for making this work possible.
David Robinson is the New York State Team Editor for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at drobinson@usatodayco.com
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: NY House race grabs national spotlight. How we reported on front lines
