Molinaro defeats Tweed in race for 102nd Assembly District

CATSKILL—Republican Marc Molinaro of Catskill defeated Democrat Janet Tweed in Tuesday’s general election to win the 102nd District seat in the New York State Assembly.

Molinaro received 26,761 votes to Tweed’s 21,595, according to unofficial results from New York State Board of Elections. Molinaro also ran on the Conservative Party line, while Tweed appeared on the Working Families Party line.

In a statement, Molinaro thanked voters throughout the district, his campaign volunteers and his family.

“Tonight you sent me to Albany to fight for the people paying the bills,” Molinaro said.

He identified lowering utility costs and taxes as priorities, criticizing Gov. Kathy Hochul and state government for what he described as a failure to serve working families.

“I’ve served this state as a village mayor, a county executive, and in Congress. I got back into this because the most important fight is here in New York,” he said.

Molinaro also acknowledged a difficult election night for Republicans across New York, describing the party's current position as a rebuilding year.

“The way we fight here in New York is wholly inadequate. We hold the same press conferences on the same steps, complaining about the same things. That doesn’t cut it,” he said, adding that he plans to speak with people across the state about how Republicans should move forward.

The district includes all of Greene and Schoharie counties, as well as portions of Delaware, Albany, Otsego and Ulster counties.

Tweed, a Delhi village trustee, conceded the race Tuesday night, thanking those who supported her campaign and helped with her bid for the Assembly seat.

“We worked hard but came up short at the polls. The voters have spoken, and I wish Marc luck,” Tweed said in a statement.

Tweed thanked those who knocked on doors, made calls, sent text messages, shared advice and opinions, opened their homes and contributed their time and money. She also expressed gratitude to her campaign team and to her husband and son, who encouraged her to run.

“What now? Back to work. There is so much that can be done,” she said.

In 1995, Molinaro became the youngest mayor in the country when he was elected in Tivoli at age 19.

He served four terms in the Dutchess County Legislature before representing the 103rd District in the State Assembly from 2006 to 2011.

Molinaro was elected Dutchess County executive in 2011 and served until 2023, when he stepped down after winning New York’s 19th Congressional District seat. He moved to Catskill and served one term in Congress before losing his reelection bid to Democrat Josh Riley.

He then served as administrator of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) from August 2025 to February 2026, resigning to accept the nomination for Assembly.

Molinaro also ran for governor in 2018 as the Republican nominee, losing to incumbent Democrat Andrew Cuomo.

In January, Molinaro will succeed Assemblyman Chris Tague (R/C) of Schoharie, who is leaving the Assembly after eight years for the 51st District seat in the state Senate. Tague won that race in Tuesday's election.

Tweed previously challenged Tague for the 102nd Assembly District seat in 2024.

In other election results, Democratic incumbents held several key statewide offices.

Gov. Kathy Hochul and her lieutenant governor running mate, Adrienne E. Adams, defeated Republican Bruce Blakeman and his running mate, Todd Hood. Hochul received 3,481,906 votes on the Democratic and Working Families lines, compared with 2,328,031 votes for Blakeman on the Republican, Conservative and Vote Affordable lines.

State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, on the Democratic and Working Families lines, won another term, defeating Republican and Conservative candidate Joseph Hernandez by a vote of 3,694,544 to 2,018,046.

Attorney General Letitia A. James, on the Democratic and Working Families lines, also secured reelection, defeating Republican and Conservative challenger Saritha Komatireddy, 3,463,959 to 2,282,393.

In the 19th Congressional District, incumbent Josh Riley defeated Republican and Conservative challenger Peter K. Oberacker. Riley, on the Democratic and Working Families lines, received 158,597 votes to Oberacker's 113,714.

State Senator Michelle Hinchey also won another term representing the 41st District. The Democratic and Working Families incumbent received 85,938 votes, defeating Republican and Conservative challenger Patrick Sheehan, who received 50,956 votes.

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Note: Results are unofficial until certified by election officials and do not include absentee ballots.

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