POUGHKEEPSIE – State Assemblyman Marc Molinaro says he is definitely going to seek the Republican and Conservative party lines to run for Dutchess County executive, but before he has even made a formal announcement about his candidacy, the county Democratic Committee has launched an attack. Its chairwoman, Elisa Sumner, said Molinaro is “unfit” to be county executive.

Sumner pointed to an audit of the Village of Tivoli, where Molinaro served as mayor for 11 years, noting the state comptroller’s office was critical of the municipality’s “financial condition.”

But, Molinaro said the Democrats need to get their facts straight; that audit was conducted for the period after he left village office and became a county legislator, he said.

Sumner, meanwhile, said a few potential candidates have expressed interest in running for the county’s top job, some in government and others in business.

New York State Bridge Authority Executive Director Joseph Ruggiero and Beekman Town Supervisor Daniel French have been mentioned as possible candidates on the Democratic ticket.