Sue Serino
Susan J. Serino is an American politician who has served as Dutchess County executive since January 1, 2024. Serino is a member of the Republican Party.
Previously, she was a member of the New York State Senate, representing the 41st district from 2015 to 2022. The district encompassed portions of the Hudson Valley, including Poughkeepsie. Prior to her time in the State Senate, Serino served as a member of the Dutchess County Legislature.
Early life
Serino was born and raised in Dutchess County, New York. She was a daughter of immigrants, and known to have worked waiting tables and later started her own childcare business.In 1996, Serino joined the real estate industry, opening a real estate office in Poughkeepsie. In 2003, she moved her office to Hyde Park, New York. As of 2019, the office she built has over twenty sales associates.
Local politics
She joined politics for the first time in 2010, where she joined the elected office as a member of the Hyde Park town board. A year later, in 2011, Serino was elected to the Dutchess County Legislature. She was re-elected in 2013, running unopposed.New York Senate
In 2014, Serino was recruited by Senate Republicans to run against first-term incumbent Terry Gipson. While Gipson had won election in 2012, the district had been reliably Republican in the previous years. Serino defeated Gipson, 51% to 46%. Gipson would seek a rematch against Serino in 2016; but this time, Serino prevailed again by a margin of 52%-42%.In 2018, Serino narrowly won re-election to a third term, defeating Democrat Karen Smythe by only 688 votes. Due to redistricting, in 2022, she ran in a competitive race against another incumbent state senator, Michelle Hinchey, but lost in a close election.