The parents of Sheridan Gorman, the Westchester college student allegedly killed by an undocumented migrant, are backing Republican Rep. Mike Lawler in a new television advertisement that accuses his Democratic challenger, Cait Conley, of supporting sanctuary policies.
In the 30-second ad, which began airing Wednesday in New York’s 17th Congressional District, Gorman’s mother, Jessica, says she and her husband, Tom, “choose leaders who choose us.”
“He just shot her. He hunted her down,” Jessica Gorman says, referring to Jose Medina, an undocumented Venezuelan migrant accused of fatally shooting her 18-year-old daughter.
Tom Gorman then looks into the camera and says, “The sanctuary policies being pushed by [Gov.] Kathy Hochul and Democrats killed our daughter. This has to stop.”
Jessica follows by saying, “And this is why we choose leaders who choose us, and that’s why we’re choosing Mike Lawler.”
Sheridan, a freshman at Loyola University Chicago, was shot and killed on March 19 while walking with friends near Lake Michigan.
Authorities say the man accused in the killing had previously encountered law enforcement but was released before the fatal shooting.
Earlier this year, Hochul approved a state law restricting local law enforcement agencies from cooperating with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on immigration enforcement. Chicago also has sanctuary policies that protect undocumented immigrants.
Conley’s campaign website says she supports a federal measure that would prohibit agreements between county police departments and ICE to assist with immigration enforcement.
During a News 12 debate Monday, however, Conley avoided directly answering the Gormans’ question about whether sanctuary laws should be repealed.
In a follow-up interview with The Post, Jessica Gorman described Conley’s response as “cowardly.”
“Last night, I was incredibly disappointed with Conley. I have respect for her because she’s a military person,” Gorman said of the Army veteran.
“She didn’t have enough respect for us to answer our question and skipped the truth. I found it cowardly. It was disrespectful to Tom and my daughter,” she added.
Gorman recently addressed the Republican National Committee’s midterm convention.
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Tom Gorman said the couple had not been politically active before their daughter’s death.
“This is not about us. It’s about preventing the next victim. We’re not going to sit idly by,” he said.
Lawler also appears in a separate campaign advertisement.
“How many lives must be lost before Cait Conley and Kathy Hochul get the message? Cait Conley supports Kathy Hochul’s law making New York a sanctuary state, tying the hands of law enforcement,” Lawler says.
“We can’t let violent criminals win, even if Cait Conley and Kathy Hochul are protecting them,” he adds.
Conley defended her record on immigration enforcement after the Gormans criticized her position.
“Sheridan Gorman was a beautiful young woman, who should still be with us today. Her death is devastating and inexcusable, and my heart breaks for Tom, Jessica, and all those who knew and loved her,” Conley said in a statement.
“Our government failed Sheridan, and we must do everything in our power to prevent another tragedy. We must ensure that both law and immigration enforcement have the resources and support they need to protect our communities from drug cartels, human traffickers, and violent criminals. As a former military police officer who has risked my life to defend our country, the safety and security of our families will always be my number one priority.”
In March, Conley attended the vigil in Yorktown to honor Sheridan Gorman.
Conley’s camp said she supports revoking 287g agreements—which give state and local police the authority to perform specific immigration enforcement functions under ICE’s direction and oversight — so that local police can focus on protecting their own communities, rather than doing the federal government’s job and forcing local taxpayers to foot the bill. This will still hold criminals accountable, her office said.
Lawler’s camp said it’s spending seven figures on the two ads over the coming weeks.
Lawler and Conley are locked in a reported neck-and-neck race in a swing district that has become one of the most closely watched in the country — and could determine which party controls the House of Representatives next year.
The 17th Congressional District, encompasses Rockland, Putnam and parts of Westchester and Dutchess counties, where a large portion of households have family members who are police officers, firefighters or veterans. About 20% of voters are Jewish.
Lawler, a former state assemblyman long active in GOP politics, is seeking a third term.
Conley is a US Army veteran and West Point graduate who worked in the Department of Homeland Security during the Biden administration. It’s her first foray into politics after winning a five-way Democratic primary.
