BY: Scott Johnson
I did my research through the Federal Election Commission website and found that Beth Davidson has raised 1.49 million dollars in her campaign for the 17th Congressional District seat. Right now, she is only running for the Democratic nomination to run against Mike Lawler. She accurately claims that only 30% of her donations came from out of NY State totaling approximately $481,714.85. She does not mention that she has also received approximately $496,175 from within NYS, but outside the 17th Congressional District. This comes to approximately $977.889.85. This money from outside HER OWN DISTRICT makes up approximately 70% – 80% of her total contributions.
If she wins the nomination, how much more money will she receive from outside OUR DISTRICT? Will the big mega million-dollar democratic/socialist donors donate to her which would make her beholden to them and THEIR wishes and NOT TO the wishes and needs of the district and to its constituents?
The question now is, where would her loyalties lie when major decisions have to be made that would affect ROCKLAND constituents? Would she vote to help the district or to help the out-of-distance contributors to her campaign.
Beth Davidson, a candidate for Congress, lives in Nyack in a home valued at around $1.3 million. She has been supported by progressive grassroots groups, including Indivisible Rockland, and her platform emphasizes inclusive housing, affordable housing, and limiting local cooperation with ICE. She often speaks passionately about protecting immigrant families and ensuring social programs reach those in need.
But here’s the reality: there is no ICE enforcement problem in Rockland County. No verified raids or federal enforcement actions are taking place here. Yet national headlines and tragic incidents elsewhere — like fatal shootings during ICE operations in Minneapolis — have stirred fear among parents and students. Some local students are walking out of classrooms, and debates over federal enforcement dominate political messaging, even though the events don’t directly impact the community.
Meanwhile, Rockland’s real, pressing issues remain largely unaddressed: housing is expensive and scarce; homelessness is on the rise; infrastructure struggles under population growth; and educational outcomes are slipping in parts of the county. Schools in areas like Ramapo continue to see high dropout rates, leaving children without the support they need to succeed. These are tangible, everyday challenges that directly affect local families.
It’s hard to ignore the contrast: a candidate living comfortably in a Nyack home is spending significant political energy on issues that, while emotionally compelling, don’t directly affect the majority of Rockland residents. The county needs leaders who focus on the problems people actually face every day — affordable housing, functional infrastructure, homeless services, and quality education — instead of letting national political narratives overshadow the very real struggles in our own communities.
Rockland families deserve policies grounded in reality, not just politically timed messaging. It’s time for our local conversation to focus on what matters here and now.
There is still the division between men and women in the workforce when it comes to salary and job opportunities. As a former freelance writer and now successfully elected county governmental official she should be focusing more on helping young women succeed in the workforce and in life in general. Instead of being an advocate and role model for people who are in this country ILLEGALLY.
She continues to avoid dealing with the aforementioned local issues and only focuses on ICE and issues that don’t affect the constituents she wants to represent in Congress. At a press conference pushing a bill that would make Rockland County a sanctuary county, she avoided a question that presented an inconvenient fact that went against her narrative about ICE killing people by ending the press conference.
Beth Davidson can absolutely be a role model for young women — her career, leadership, and civic engagement are inspiring. But role models also need to show strong focus on the actual problems their neighbors face every day. In Rockland County today, people are worried about skyrocketing housing costs, homelessness, schools that are struggling in places like Ramapo, aging infrastructure, and the basic costs of raising a family. Those are issues parents and children actually encounter in their daily lives — unlike national ICE enforcement controversies that haven’t taken place here. Leaders in Rockland should be directing their energy toward these local challenges, where real solutions are needed and where voters are looking for results, not political talking points.