Dutchess Executive Molinaro Runs for Governor
By Marco Schaden
POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. — Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro is running for Governor of New York. Molinaro won the Republican primary uncontested and hopes to be the first Republican Governor of New York since George Pataki left office in 2004. The 42-year old looks to unseat current Democrat Governor Andrew Cuomo, who recently won his primary quite handedly over left-wing upstart and actress Cynthia Nixon.
In a state where there are twice as many Democrats as Republicans and every statewide office is currently held by a Democrat, Molinaro has a tough race ahead of him from the start. In the most recent poll from Quinnipiac University, Cuomo is ahead at 57 percent and Molinaro sits behind at 31 percent.
Molinaro has been involved in politics his entire adult life — at the age of 19 he became mayor of Tivoli, New York. It earned him the tag of the youngest mayor in the United States and started his career in public service. He went on to serve in the Dutchess County Legislature and New York State Assembly, before becoming Dutchess County executive in 2012.
Molinaro is a moderate right-of-center conservative that did not endorse or vote for Donald Trump for president and has been publicly differential to the president on some of his policies, like his handling of immigrant children on the border, telling Newsday it was “not American.”
However, Molinaro does support the tax cuts that President Trump passed, showing his fiscally-conservative roots. If Molinaro wants to win, he will need to show his socially moderate views on LGBTQ and abortion rights. Molinaro told Newsday that he views same-sex marriage as a “civil right,” but believes abortions must have some restrictions placed upon them.
“I have a personal belief … I do not support late-term abortion,” Molinaro said. But “I realize Roe v. Wade is settled law.”
Recently, Molinaro has attacked Cuomo over corruption scandals that have rocked his administration, with former top aides going to prison. Cuomo has retaliated by going after Molinaro’s wife and her employment with a company that has given Molinaro campaign money over the years. The accusation is similar to the scandal former New York State Senator Dean Skelos has been embroiled in.
Molinaro believes these negative ads against his currently pregnant wife are outside the realm of politics. “Andrew Cuomo better keep his sleazy attacks on me,” Molinaro said to The New York Post. “He’s a classless buffoon who attacks a woman — one who is six months pregnant.”
Even if Molinaro loses his election for governor, the young politician seems to have a bright future in the Republican party that is looking for the next generation of conservative leaders. This hill may just be too steep to climb, as Cuomo has a campaign budget 24 times larger than Molinaro’s, according to The New York Post.
