In November 2006, Arcuri defeated State Senator Ray Meier for the 22nd District congressional seat left open by the retiring Sherwood Boehlert. Arcuri won by 54 percent of the vote to Meier's 45 percent, becoming only the second Democrat to represent this district and its predecessors in 106 years, and the first since 1951. In his bid for re-election in 2008, Arcuri faced a closer-than-expected challenge from businessman Richard L. Hanna but prevailed. Arcuri won 52 percent of the votes to Hanna’s 48 percent  In a rematch of the election two years prior, Arcuri faced off again against Hanna but lost to the Republican as the GOP made gains across the country. Republican Richard Hanna beat incumbent Mike Arcuri 101,599 to 85,624, according to figures from the state Board of Elections. Arcuri ran for Oneida County Court judge, but lost to Assistant District Attorney Robert Bauer. Arcuri has two children from his first marriage with Barbara Arcuri, Carmen and Dominique. They divorced in 2002. He married his second wife, the former Sabrina Deon, in August 2007.