Republican gubernatorial candidate Marc Molinaro speaks with supporters in Dutchess County last week.

Marc Molinaro knew he was likely fighting a losing battle. In early April, the Dutchess County executive announced his intentions to run against Gov. Andrew Cuomo this November to lead the Empire State.

“I won’t lie, the path ahead is not easy,” Molinaro admitted in the Poughkeepsie Journal this spring. “For me, public service has been my calling.”

Cuomo, for all intents and purposes, has the look of Goliath with 18 days remaining in the campaign. He has the name recognition, the support of downstate — which is more than half of the state population — and estimates of possibly $25 million in his campaign coffers.

Molinaro, on the flip side, resembles a pauper. His visits to Western New York have been few and far between while his campaign has been on the brink of running out of money.

To be fair, this does not all fall on Molinaro’s shoulders. State Republicans are unorganized and lacking in clout. Even party candidate Chele Farley, who is opposing powerhouse incumbent U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, is an unknown commodity and barely a factor in the election.

Just this week, Molinaro was somehow caught in the middle of an unnecessary party controversy involving a Manhattan Republican Club that invited Gavin McInnes, head of the ultranational right wing group The Proud Boys, for a discussion last weekend. “I’m embarrassed these individuals were invited to speak,” Molinaro told the Daily News of New York.

Making matters worse, other top state party officials defended the appearance of McInnes at the club. That just does not play well in a state that traditionally bleeds blue.

Chautauqua County, however, normally runs red. In past elections, it has supported current President Donald Trump, our last three Republican county executives as well as Carl Paladino, who was Cuomo’s first opponent for governor in 2010.

Across the region, there appears to be support for Molinaro. Some with the placards in their yards are traditional Republican voters or those who are anti-Cuomo no matter how giving the governor can be.

There is no question the incumbent has been embroiled in scandal. There are serious questions about the bidding processes that took place as part of the Buffalo Billion development efforts, specifically with the Tesla project. Others claim he is too quick to react to President Donald Trump’s edicts on immigration or the debate on making America great again.

Second Amendment backers also will never forgive the SAFE Act, a gun regulation law passed very quickly by state lawmakers in January 2013.

But on results alone, specifically economic development, it is hard for Western New Yorkers to not have a soft spot for Cuomo. Before his reign, Western New York was becoming desolate due to Albany’s longtime lack of investment in upstate.

Since taking office in 2011, the incumbent has pushed billions of dollars Buffalo’s way. It was once the case that the traffic jams around the Queen City involved commuters moving out. Today, there’s actually lines of traffic heading in — with activity along the waterfront and in the medical corridor.

Cuomo also has helped Dunkirk and Fredonia on more than one occasion. Just last week, the village was the recipient of a $2.5 million smart growth grant for its downtown while Dunkirk — and Gowanda — won the same award last October.

Construction results also matter. To the city’s eastern border is the Athenex project, which is one of the largest projects in this region in the last 35 years. In Jamestown, Cuomo awarded the community $10 million to invest in its downtown and had the state play a role in the opening of the National Comedy Center.

Molinaro, who has not frequented Chautauqua County with one minor exception, does not seem to be a bad candidate. He’s been in politics since he was 19 and has plenty of support in his home county.

But it seems as though Cynthia Nixon, who challenged Cuomo in September’s primary, may have had a better shot and more momentum. Even then, Nixon received only 34 percent of the vote from the Democrats.

It may not be that much for Molinaro come Nov. 6.

John D’Agostino is the OBSERVER publisher. Send comments to jdagostino@observertoday.com or call 366-3000, ext. 401.