On Tuesday, Marcus Molinaro announced his run for the 19th Congressional District during a press conference at Kesicke Farm in Rhinebeck. The Dutchess County executive, former state lawmaker, and at one point the youngest mayor in the United States, plans to run against Antonio Delgado, a Democrat in his second term.
Molinaro, 45 is a Republican who is finishing up his tenth year as a Dutchess County executive.
“For the last 10 years I have had the honor of serving as Dutchess County executive. I have inherited a government that was broken, and we’ve confronted major economic challenges and financial challenges in Dutchess County,” Molinaro said Tuesday. “And we knew then as I know now that any problem can be solved if we work together to achieve a solution. And in Dutchess County we’ve done that. We’ve held the line on spending. We’ve kept the government smaller, smarter and more effective. We’ve cut taxes each of the last eight years.
“And I’ll let you in on a secret, we’re going to do it again because we can, and anytime a government has more money than it needs it ought to give it back to the people paying the bills.”
The 19th Congressional District includes Columbia, Delaware, Greene, Otsego, Schoharie, Sullivan, and Ulster counties, as well as parts of Broome, Dutchess, Montgomery and Rensselaer counties.
Congressman Antonio Delgado speaking at a town hall meeting in Catskill, N.Y.
During his announcement for Congress, Molinaro brought up Andrew Cuomo’s sexual assault allegations and New York state’s inability to protect the elderly who were dying alone in nursing homes from COVID.
“It is said that the greatness of a nation can be judged by how it treats its most vulnerable,” Molinaro said. “I will use every resource of the office of a member of Congress to fight for better care. Breaking down barriers, creating new opportunities. Overhauling special education and protecting the rights of those with disabilities.”
In his announcement, Molinaro accused Delgado of not doing enough to protect farmers and small businesses. He accused Delgado of being “more interested in mastering the Washington two-step, the dance with the donors, the PACs, the billionaires and the special interests. Raising millions of dollars just as Andrew Cuomo did, rather than engage in the heavy lifting.
“Antonio Delgado must have taken a lesson from Andrew Cuomo, the lack of accountability is breathtaking,” Molinaro added. “And the harm being done to working class families is mounting.”
State Republican Committee Chairman Nick Langworthy said “the road to winning back the House majority runs through the Hudson Valley” and Molinaro’s candidacy makes the race for NY 19 one of the top targets in the country.
“As county executive, Marc has been a champion for taxpayers while delivering good, honest government to the people of Dutchess,” Langworthy said. “Antonio Delgado has proven himself to be nothing more than a Pelosi puppet who has been silent on everything from Cuomo’s corruption to Biden’s incompetence and that is why voters are going to replace him next November.”
