Mary Lou Bartolotta-Connolly is serving her fifth term in the Albany County Legislature as the representative of the 32nd Legislative District. Her district lies entirely within the Town of Guilderland and includes the area along Route 20 from McKownville at the eastern boundary to Route 146 and Guilderland Center at the western boundary to the Bethlehem/New Scotland Town lines on the south.

A Legislator since 1993, Mary Lou is Chair of the Health Committee and a member of the Civic Center and Mass Transit Committees. She previously served on the Social Services Committee, which she chaired, and the Public Works Committee. She played an integral part in the establishment of the Airport Authority while serving on the Mass Transit Committee. During her tenure as Health Committee Chair, Mary Lou has been a strong advocate for the mentally ill in Albany County, and received the 1997 Community Service Award from the NYS American Psychiatric Association.

 Mary Lou's governmental background spans more than 30 years. She served on the Washington staff of Congressman Joseph Y. Resnick and NY Lt. Governor Mary Anne Krupsak, the first woman Lieutenant Governor in the U.S. She was a candidate for the New York State Assembly seat from the 102nd District in 1976. For more than a decade, she was the Regional Tourism Director of the I♥NY campaign for the Capital/Saratoga and Central/Leather Stocking regions.

Among her other proud achievements are sponsorship of a local law banning self-service displays and open shelf storage of cigarettes and other tobacco products to minimize teen access to smoking, and a measure that led to a requirement for carbon monoxide detectors in new housing and new and existing hotels and motels. She has been instrumental in enactment of legislation to expand services for seniors and children, aid volunteer fire/EMT retention and recruitment, extend immunization and flu clinics to Guilderland and other towns and purchase defibrillators for County facilities. The Albany Airport Professional Firefighters Local I-65 honored Mary Lou with its Community Leadership Award in 2003 for securing the funding to buy six defibrillators for the Airport.

In recognition of her advocacy to improve the climate for economic development, the Guilderland Chamber of Commerce awarded Mary Lou its 1999 Chamber Champion award. Mary Lou is the owner of Bartolotta-Connolly Insurance in Green Island and is certified by New York State as a Woman-Owned Business.

A singer and pianist, Mary Lou volunteers to entertain residents at area nursing homes and for numerous not-for-profit organizations, including Project STRIVE's children's holiday party.