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Republican Frank Mauriello, minority leader of the Albany County Legislature, announced on Tuesday (February 18) his bid for New York's 110th Assembly District seat, challenging Democratic incumbent Phil Steck who has held the position since 2013.
Mauriello is framing his campaign around addressing New York's high cost of living and what he describes as "one-party rule" in Albany. "New York is broken under one-party rule in Albany - I'm running to fix it in the state Assembly," Mauriello said in a statement to the Times Union. "Utility bills have skyrocketed. Taxes are too high. People are fleeing our state at record rates."
The 110th Assembly District encompasses the towns of Colonie and Niskayuna, along with portions of Guilderland and Schenectady. While the seat was previously held by Republican James Tedisco (now a state senator), it has remained solidly Democratic for the past decade under Steck's leadership.
In the 2024 election, Steck secured reelection with 53% of the vote against Republican challenger Jeffrey Maddan's 35%. Despite these consistent margins, Mauriello believes this year presents a different political landscape with cost of living concerns at the forefront of voters' minds.
Mauriello specifically criticized Steck's support of climate regulations, claiming they have caused utility and energy costs to increase. He also expressed concern about downstate political influence, stating, "Every time Phil casts a vote with his conference, he's really working with downstate representatives. We need somebody in office who is going to be a champion for our constituents in upstate."
Steck has defended his record in response to Mauriello's announcement, saying the Republican candidate "is hurling vague and general accusations and he really ought to check his facts." Steck highlighted his efforts to reduce utility costs, including legislation to add consumer advocates to the Public Service Commission.
Currently serving his third term in the Albany County Legislature, Mauriello represents western Colonie in a district bordering Schenectady County. His previous political experience includes serving as a Colonie town councilman from 1998 to 2007 and as Colonie deputy supervisor from 2004 to 2007.
The son of Italian immigrants, Mauriello was born in Niskayuna and raised in Colonie. He is a graduate of Colonie Central High School and Siena College, and is the father of two daughters with two grandchildren.