LANCASTER, N.Y. — At a Wednesday press conference with U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz told seniors in Lancaster if they're worried about potential cuts to Medicaid, they should call their congressional representative and let him know.

"We need you to send that message to Nick Langworthy to say don't cut Medicaid," Poloncarz said.

The night before, he traveled out of Erie County to Batavia for a town hall where he says he spoke about the impact of federal policy on Western New York counties. Poloncarz said the district's congresswoman should have been there, too.

"If you're an elected official and you're not willing to go to town hall meetings, you should seriously consider resigning because what are you doing? Why are you in office if you're too afraid to talk to your constituents?" he asked.

The county executive's recent activity has focused on national politics and he has publicly criticized the Republican representatives Nick Langworthy and Claudia Tenney, raising questions about whether he is considering running against one of them next year. Poloncarz does not live in either district but that does not prohibit him from representing those seats.

Still, he said that is not the plan.

"I am not a candidate for Congress," Poloncarz said. "It's nice to hear people say, ‘we'd like you to run for Congress,’ but I'm county executive and I like my house in the city of Buffalo."

Poloncarz, who has been county executive since 2012, has already said this, his fourth term, will be his last. University at Buffalo political scientist Jacob Neiheisel said his actions suggest he is eyeing a new role. 

"There's really very little downside to this, particularly if he's not worried about running again in Erie County. So if you're starting to look outside of Erie County and you're starting to do activities there, that's something that just raises your profile no matter what's next. So, yeah, I think it's pure political profit," Neiheisel said.

As vice chair of the National Democratic County Officials, Poloncarz said he's often asked to speak to other counties, not just around the state but the country. He said he is doing the jobs he currently has, not the one for which some people believe he's auditioning.

"I believe our democracy is at risk and democracy is not a spectator's sport,” Poloncarz said. “You shouldn't be standing on the sidelines.”