First-term New York State Senator Mike Martucci announced Tuesday that he will not seek reelection after all.
The Hudson Valley Republican was set to take on State Senator James Skoufis, a Democrat of the current 39th District, in the new 42nd District. The district, drawn by a court-appointed special master, includes a large portion of Orange County, excluding the City of Newburgh and Villages of Walden and Montgomery.
Martucci called the decision to step away very difficult, saying the seat has been in Republican hands for most of the last 50 years and he expects it to remain that way.
“When the redistricting process began and I declared I was running for re-election, the Senate District I petitioned in was completely different from the one that exists today," Martucci said in a statement. "Due to the prolonged process that included maps from two sets of Independent Redistricting Commissioners, then Democrats in the Legislature, then outside groups, and finally State courts, we had no true idea what our district would end up looking like or who our opponent would be until this past Saturday morning. “Anyone that has a family with young children knows that it’s important to have some degree of certainty. Therefore, I am not seeking re-election to the State Senate."
Senate GOP Minority Leader Rob Ortt said Republicans will work to recruit a candidate to defeat Skoufis.
Skoufis passed on a run for Congress to seek re-election.
