# Marc Molinaro Former U.S. Representative for [[NY-19-2026]] (2023–2025), brief **Federal Transit Administrator** (February 2026), and now candidate for **New York State Assembly District 102** (announced 2026-02-23 / 27). Molinaro narrowly lost NY-19 to [[Josh Riley]] in a 2024 rematch (~3,678 vote margin) after beating Riley by ~4,500 votes in 2022. **Not running for federal office in 2026** — his choice to step down to state-level rather than attempt a third consecutive NY-19 rematch removes the most obvious GOP option from the 2026 Republican field, clearing space for Trump-endorsed [[Peter Oberacker]]. ## Status in 2026 cycle - **Not a 2026 federal candidate** - Briefly served as **Federal Transit Administrator** in February 2026 (short tenure under the Trump-era DOT reorganization — specifics of exit NEEDS VERIFICATION) - **Announced NY State Assembly District 102 run 2026-02-23 / 2026-02-27** - His exit from NY-19 is a textbook case of Trump-era rematch fatigue: two strong campaigns, one narrow win, one narrow loss, stepping down to a more winnable state-level seat rather than chasing a third ## Background - Dutchess County Executive (2012–2022) - Mayor of Tivoli, NY (earliest elected office, as a teenager — NEEDS VERIFICATION of exact dates) - NY Assembly member (pre-House — NEEDS VERIFICATION) - 2018 Republican nominee for Governor of New York (lost to Andrew Cuomo) - Special-needs advocacy prominent in his public profile (daughter Abigail) - 2022 NY-19 win: beat Josh Riley in open-seat post-redistricting race - 2024 NY-19 loss: lost to Riley in rematch by ~3,678 votes (48.99%–47.99%) ## Ideological positioning - Center-right Republican; working-family / rural Hudson Valley profile - Not a MAGA-movement figure; not endorsed by Trump in 2024 cycle despite being the incumbent - Post-loss arc — appointment to Federal Transit Administrator by Trump DOT, then state-Assembly run — reads as a consolation-placement pattern - His exit + Oberacker's Trump endorsement is the cleanest illustration of the 2026 NY-19 GOP realignment from Molinaro's center-right brand to a full-MAGA profile ## Related - [[NY-19-2026]] — the 2026 race he opted out of - [[Josh Riley]] — two-time opponent, current incumbent (stub TBD) - [[Peter Oberacker]] — Trump-endorsed Oberacker replaces Molinaro as the GOP's 2026 NY-19 hope ## Sources - [Ballotpedia — Marc Molinaro](https://ballotpedia.org/Marc_Molinaro) - [WBNG — Molinaro runs for NY Assembly 102 (2026-02-27)](https://www.wbng.com/2026/02/27/marc-molinaro-announces-run-for-new-yorks-102nd-assembly-district/)