Republican Mike Martucci on Thursday launched a bid for the Hudson Valley state Senate district represented by freshman Democrat Jen Metzger. 

“I’ve been traveling throughout the district for the last few months, meeting with friends and neighbors, and the common theme I am hearing is people feel New York state is headed in the wrong direction and our current state senator is out of touch with the needs of the people of the 42nd Senate district, and this is why I have decided to run for New York state Senate," Martucci said.

Martucci founded a school transportation company in 2007 at the age of 22, which he recently sold. He grew the company to 500 employees and 350 school buses. Like Republicans elsewhere in the state, he knocked the new cash bail law.

“Unfortunately, we see it in the news every day now; criminals committing crimes and then being set free without bail. This is due to an awful new law our local senator voted for that eliminates bail for a number of horrible crimes against children, families, and even animals,” Martucci said. “Our current state senator just doesn’t get it. We should not be putting the rights of criminals over the rights of our families — especially if it threatens public safety.”