By New York Post (U.S.) | Created at 2026-09-30 09:16:49 | Updated at 2026-09-30 10:19:43
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The grieving Westchester parents of Sheridan Gorman — the Loyola University student allegedly killed by an illegal migrant — endorsed incumbent Republican Rep. Mike Lawler in a new TV ad while ripping his Democratic opponent Cait Conley for backing sanctuary policies.
Gorman’s mom Jessica declared that she and her husband Tom “choose leaders who choose us” in the 30-second-spot that began airing on Wednesday morning for viewers in New York’s 17th House district.
“He just shot her. He hunted her down,” Jessica Gorman said in the ad, referring to Jose Medina — the undocumented Venezuelan migrant accused of gunning down her 18-year-old daughter.
Looking into the camera, Sheridan’s dad, Tom Gorman, said “The sanctuary policies being pushed by [Gov.] Kathy Hochul and Democrats killed our daughter. This has to stop.”
Jessica added, “And this is why we choose leaders who choose us and that’s why we’re choosing Mike Lawler.”
Sheridan, a freshman at the Chicago school, was killed in cold blood on March 19 while walking with friends along Lake Michigan.
Her alleged killer had previous run-ins with law enforcement but was set free before the deadly shooting.
Hochul approved a state law earlier this year barring local law enforcement from cooperating with ICE on immigration enforcement. Chicago has a similar sanctuary law policy protecting undocumented immigrants.
On her website, Conley stated she supports passing a federal law that would prevent agreements between county police and ICE to assist in immigration enforcement.
But she dodged a question about her position when the Gormans asked about overturning sanctuary laws during a News 12 debate Monday night.
In a follow-up interview with The Post, Jessica Gorman called Conley’s answer “cowardly.”
“Last night, I was incredibly disappointed with Conley. I have respect for her because she’s a military person,” Jessica 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.”
Jessica Gorman recently spoke at the Republican National Committee’s mid-term convention.
Her husband said they were never this politically active before, until their daughter was killed.
“This is not about us. It’s about preventing the next victim. We’re not going to sit idly by,” he said.
Lawler appears in a second ad.
“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 said.
“We can’t let violent criminals win, even if Cait Conley and Kathy Hochul are protecting them.” Lawler said.
Conley defended her record on immigration enforcement in response to the criticism from the Gormans.
“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.
