Skoufis will run in Orange County-based state Senate district

KINGSTON, N.Y. » James Skoufis, a Mid-Hudson Democratic state senator whose district was recently redrawn, will run for an Orange County-based state Senate seat, he said Saturday.

Skoufis, D-Cornwall, hadn’t decided until Saturday whether to run for his seat again in a new state Senate district that would pit him against incumbent Republican state Sen. Mike Martucci, R-New Hampton. Skoufis currently represents parts of southern Ulster County but would not in the new 42nd Senate District.

Last week, Skoufis said he would not run in the newly drawn 18th Congressional District and threw his support behind Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan, who has said he will run for the new 18th Congressional District seat. Ryan is first running opposite Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro in an August special election in the current 19th Congressional District.

“With the release of finalized State Senate maps that aggressively carved up our existing district, my family, team, and I found ourselves with an incredibly difficult decision to make over the past two weeks,” Skoufis said in a statement. “We considered every available option to determine how best to continue serving the people of the Hudson Valley and I am grateful to the many colleagues and partners who reached out to offer their perspectives and encouraging words.”

Skoufis, who said he’s “gone to bat for Orange County residents” in fighting against “moneyed corporate interests” by voting against new taxes and “standing up to my own party to address flaws within bail reform, helping to orchestrate the largest middle-income tax cuts in more than 70 years (and) securing historic funding for our infrastructure and schools.”

The newly-drawn 42nd District includes almost all of Orange County except Newburgh and Montgomery. If elected, Skoufis will no longer represent Newburgh, Montgomery, North Rockland, or southern Ulster County.