New York state Assemblyman John Salka will now run for a seat in the New York state Senate.

The Central New York Republican lawmaker announced Thursday he will run to represent the 55th state Senate District. After redistricting, that district now covers southeastern Onondaga County, northwestern Cortland County and parts of Madison and Onieda counties.

Salka was elected to the Assembly's 121st District in 2018 after defeating longtime incumbent Assemblyman Bill Magee.

"It is painfully obvious that one party rule in our state legislature has proven to be a disaster," Salka said in a statement. "Their policies have cost the citizens of our great state dearly when it comes to fair representation and the ability to make their voices heard. Bail reform endorsed by the one party system has made our communities less safe. Excessive mandates are causing great harm to our children and our small businesses, and the latest redistricting fiasco has proven that the Democratic majority has little regard for the will of the voters.

The lawmaker said he looks forward to reaching out to citizens of upstate communities and wants to work together to "make upstate New York great again.”