Tom Carle announced Tuesday he is running for the state Assembly, challenging incumbent Andrew Molitor.

Former Chautauqua County Legislator Tom Carle is running for the 150th state Assembly running on the Democratic and Working Families line in the Nov. 3 General Election facing off against Republican incumbent Andrew Molitor of Westfield.

Carle said as a county legislator, he worked with Republicans to do the majority of the county’s business, was vocal in meetings and was a member of the Public Safety Committee, supporting the Sheriff’s Department and Emergency Services. The areas that Carle did not agree with the majority were taxes and expenses. In Mayville, he voted to reduce the county sales tax and to increase the city, town and village sales tax shares, in addition to a reduction in the county property tax levy. Carle also voted against a mortgage tax to reduce closing costs on real estate sales.

Carle was in favor of utilizing a portion of the unassigned county fund balance to aid residents, struggling municipalities and to free up dollars for local food banks. During the federal budget shutdown in 2025, Carle called for an emergency meeting of the County Legislature to ensure that there was a path for county residents to access the county administered federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and other programs that help low income, county residents buy food. Carle addressed the legislature on the homeless and temporary housing issue in Fredonia and also brought to the public’s attention an exorbitant salary issue for some county positions that Carle said remains unaddressed.

Carle did not support plans for a $120 million jail project, did not support a plan to move the county offices to the Chautauqua Mall and said the Industrial Development Agency (IDA) project in Ripley is a poor investment. Carle prefers that type of investment to be closer to Dunkirk or Jamestown.

“Unlike what you have witnessed with our incumbents at the state level, which is little to nothing to improve our lives, you can expect that I will work for the citizens to be an impactful voice in the state Assembly, for the future of Chautauqua County. You won’t have to wonder if I am working for you in Albany, it will be obvious” said Carle.

Carle said his position in the majority party – which hasn’t happened in the state Assembly since former Assemblyman Bill Parment retired, will be beneficial to the county on a number of issues, including continued natural gas usage, CLCPA target revision, renewable energy generation, strictly controlling energy pricing, controlling data centers and battery energy storage system placements, resolving the homeless crisis state-wide and reversing the 20 year trend of population and job losses.

“Though the governor has been generous to our county, with hospital funding, loans and assistance, I expect my alignment with the state majority will allow me to improve the county’s condition and future, in a way that our Republican representation never could, because our voice will be in the majority for the first time, in a long time,” Carle said.

Molitor, formerly a Chautauqua County first assistant district attorney, was elected in November 2024 to succeed the now retired Andrew Goodell. This year’s election is his first re-election campaign.