LET’S BE CREATIVE: February 29, 2024

2024 ELECTION BAR

By LORNA CHEROT LITTLEWAY

GHENT–The 2024 general election for the recently reconfigured 19th Congressional District is a rematch of the 2022 midterm open seat election when the current Republican incumbent Marc Molinaro defeated Democratic challenger Josh Riley by slightly more than 2% of ballots cast. The 19th CD was one of four Hudson Valley districts to flip from Democrat to Republican contributing to the GOP’s 8-vote majority in the House of Representatives.

The 19th CD includes all of Columbia, Broome, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Greene, Sullivan, Tioga and Tompkins counties as well as parts of Otsego and Ulster counties.

In the 2022 Democratic primary Mr. Riley defeated Dutchess County entrepreneur Jamie Cheney with more than 60% of the vote.

The candidates were sent and returned questionnaires. Candidates were asked to write a statement and each candidate was asked to comment on Project 2025. Their answers are below:

Marcus Molinaro

Marc Molinaro, 48, a registered Republican, has been the Congressman for 2 years. He is on the Republican and Conservative ballot lines.

Mr. Molinaro attended SUNY Dutchess. In 1995, Congressman Marc Molinaro was elected Mayor of Tivoli, becoming the youngest mayor in America. He later served as State Assemblyman and County Executive. Now in Congress, he serves on the House Committee on Agriculture, House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure, and the House Committee on Small Business.

The congressman resides in Catskill with his wife Corinne and children Abigail, Jack, Elias, and Theo.

Candidate statement:

I’m a son of the Hudson Valley. Growing up, my family struggled and relied on food stamps.
In Congress, I’ve delivered results for working class families like the one I grew up in. I’m ranked the most bipartisan in New York and top five in Congress for passing bills on local issues like affordability, crime, supporting those with disabilities, protecting Social Security, and preserving our environment.
My opponent Josh Riley is a DC lawyer who got rich off the backs of working people. His law firm was paid to silence sexual assault victims for serial predator Harvey Weinstein. And the border policy Riley was paid to write lets criminals in, bankrupts Social Security, and kills American jobs by giving his corporate clients cheap immigrant labor.

I’m running to continue my fight for a community that is safe and affordable for all people, and no I don’t support Project 2025. 

For more information on the candidate, go to https://www.marcforus.com/

Josh Riley

Josh Riley, 43, is a registered Democrat, will be on the Democrat and Working Families ballot lines.

Mr. Riley was born in Endicott and attended the College of William & Mary and Harvard Law. He is an attorney who currently lives in Ithaca with his wife Monica Kohli and their two children.

Candidate statement:

My family worked in the local factories in Endicott for generations until our community was sold out and those opportunities disappeared. I’m running for Congress to take on the corrupt politicians and

special interests who put themselves ahead of us. I’ll always put Upstate New York first, and I don’t take any corporate PAC money – because my vote isn’t for sale.

I know career politicians are in it for themselves, and working people are paying the price. That’s why I want to clean house with term limits and a ban on dark money in our politics. I trust women to make their own healthcare decisions, which is why I’ll always protect abortion access and stand up to extremists who would take those personal decisions away. And I know Upstate families are struggling to make ends meet, so I’ll take on corporate price gougers and fight to lower costs.

For more information on the candidate, go to www.joshrileyforcongress.com