Photo: Getty Images
Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin is officially launching his re-election campaign today (Thursday, January 23) at Turnkey Office Solutions in North Greenbush. McLaughlin, a Republican, has been the county executive since 2017 and is seeking another term in office.
In addition to his re-election bid, McLaughlin has applied to become the next president of Hudson Valley Community College (HVCC) in Troy, New York. The position became available after the former president, Roger Ramsammy, was fired following allegations of sexual harassment, which he denied. McLaughlin is among over 70 applicants for the role, despite lacking some qualifications such as a doctorate or teaching experience. He holds a Master of Business Administration in finance and has experience in banking.
McLaughlin is also a potential candidate to replace Congresswoman Elise Stefanik in New York's 21st Congressional District if she is confirmed as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. Despite his political ambitions, McLaughlin has stated that if he becomes HVCC president, he would cease his political rhetoric, acknowledging that the role is non-political.
The search for HVCC's new president is being managed by an external firm, with the list of candidates expected to be delivered to the college's 24-member presidential search committee soon. Meanwhile, McLaughlin continues to focus on his re-election campaign, emphasizing his accomplishments as county executive, including rebuilding county facilities, repaving roads, and maintaining a large budget surplus.