POUGHKEEPSIE – Marc Molinaro, currently serving as the leader of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), is considering another run for Congress, according to Mid-Hudson News sources. Molinaro, who was once the youngest mayor in the nation, before moving on to several elected offices, most recently served as the Republican Congressman in the New York 19th Congressional District before losing his re-election bid to Josh Riley in 2024.
Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (NY-21) recently announced she would not seek re-election next year, leaving the North Country seat open.
Republican Assemblyman Robert Smullen is also seeking the GOP and Conservative Party nominations for the seat, along with Republican Anthony Constantino, an upstate business owner.
Molinaro, according to sources, has been reaching out to Republican and Conservative Party Chairs in NY-21 to gauge the viability of his potential campaign. After serving as Tivoli Mayor, Molinaro served in the Dutchess County Legislature, New York State Assembly, and spent years as the Dutchess County Executive. In 2018, he unsuccessfully ran against Andrew Cuomo for Governor of New York, before serving one term in Congress, representing NY-19.
Molinaro does not reside in the NY-21 District that covers all or parts of 15 counties from Saratoga north to the Canadian border. The area is referred to as the state’s North Country.
Molinaro does not reside in the district, and his residency is one reason that former Conservative NYS Assemblyman Kieran Lalor went on a tirade against Molinaro on social media. Known as a brash Conservative who routinely criticized Republicans for personal gain, Lalor attempted a Congressional run in 2008 but lost to incumbent Democrat John Hall by more than 18 percent. Lalor primaried GOP Assemblyman Pat Manning in 2012 for the 105th AD seat and went on to win, and then served three more two-year terms before fading into the twilight.
The former US Marine has been relatively quiet compared to his days when he was a favorite guest on Fox News. Quiet until Molinaro began exploring a return to Congress.
Using social media, Lalor chastised Molinaro, appointed by President Trump to lead the FTA, saying “Molinaro got a patronage job in August 2025. Now, five months later, he is already actively looking for a new job.” Lalor continued the criticism of his nemesis, saying, “Molinaro wants to carpetbag to another seat, this one in the North Country,” referring to him as a “Self-serving and self-absorbed career politician like Molinaro in both parties destroyed this state.”
Molinaro did not respond to a late-night request on Thursday, seeking comment.
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