The Congressional elections are 45 weeks away and U.S. Rep. Marc Molinaro, NY-19, is running hard. And he needs to. In 2022 Republican Molinaro defeated Democrat Josh Riley by a margin of 4,495 votes, 50.8% to 49.2%.
Riley is seeking a rematch. He’s raising money and building support for the Democratic nomination. And outside money is paying for an ad campaign bashing Molinaro.
There are also other reasons for concern in the Molinaro camp. The district lines are going to be redrawn. A new configuration may tilt the district in favor of Democrats. The Cook Political Report, which provides independent, non-partisan analysis of elections, rates the 19th District a toss up.
And then there is history. Since 2011 there have been six people elected to Congress from the 19th over the course of eight elections. That’s an unusually high turnover rate. Four Republicans — Nan Hayworth, Chris Gibson, John Faso and Molinaro; and two Democrats — Antonio Delgado and Pat Ryan, held the seat.
Republicans won five elections and Democrats were victorious in three.
So, what has Molinaro been doing? At the end of his first year in office he said he has driven 23,284 miles across the district, held more than 11 town hall meetings, gulped 225 cups of coffee and flipped 23 pizzas.
As a freshman member of the House, Molinaro said he has helped pass the Lower Energy Cost Act, the Secure the Border Act, the Schools Not Shelters Act, expanded mental health treatment, and worked to break barriers for people with disabilities.
Like many Republicans, Molinaro says he is concerned about migrants crossing the border into the United States. “I have made it clear that border security is a priority,” Molinaro said during a radio interview. He wants “compassionate treatment in the asylum seeking process, a streamlined process for adjudication, and care for unaccompanied minors.”
Under current law, it is difficult for migrants to work legally. When asked if migrants should be allowed to work he said, “Absolutely. My family benefited as nearly every American family benefitted from a transparent immigration system.”
He says he believes it’s important for employers to conduct background checks. “From my perspective we need a system that is much more robust when it comes to considering the vetting and the asylum adjudication,” Molinaro said.
He says he wants President Joe Biden to declare a state of emergency. “The president can do this,” Molinaro said. “That would provide the federal resources to enhance the vetting process at the border and to assist states and cities like New York. But he chose not to.”
Another issue of concern to Molinaro, he says, is increasing antisemitism. “There needs to be a clear commitment to protecting Jewish Americans and Jewish students,” he said. “Antisemitism in any form, whether it’s social media influencers, or practices on college campuses, or within any political interest, antisemitism is a cancer that must be confronted.”
Budget deadlines will be looming when the House of Representatives reconvenes in January. Molinaro did not mention spending bills when discussing 2024 goals. “My priorities are the priorities of the people I serve,” Molinaro said. “Everyone that I speak with in upstate New York talks about high cost of living, lack of job opportunities, concerns related to mental health, substance use disorder, and those are my priorities.”
On a lighter note, a Molinaro media release headlined “Holiday Tradition — a little fun Festivus and the Airing of Grievances!” Festivus is a secular alternative to the Christmas holidays. Among his grievances, “Can pervert Al Franken stop emailing me about donating to Josh Riley? Josh is a millionaire! He has enough money.”
I can relate. I didn’t have the heart to tell Molinaro that I get emails from his campaign asking for money. As a reporter I never contribute to politicians. I just pester them with questions.