MidHudson News is reporting one-term Republican state Senator Michael Martucci announced May 31, that he will not seek re-election in November. “Stepping away from this race is a very difficult decision for me because it has been the honor of a lifetime to serve communities across four counties, and I believe that my team and I have done tremendous work in just two years in office,” he said. The redistricting process would have pitted Martucci against Senator James Skoufis, a Democrat. Martucci said when he first declared candidacy, the district he petitioned in “was completely different from the one that exists today.” He said because of the prolonged process, he had no idea what the new 42nd District would look like or who his opponent would be until last weekend. Martucci said even though he is stepping aside, “I want to be clear about one important fact — this seat has been in Republican hands for most of the last 50 years and I expect it to remain that way.” Read the full story at MidHudsonNews [dot] com.