Thursday’s primary in 108th Assembly District said to be an important one

Posted at: 09/12/2012 6:06 PM | Updated at: 09/12/2012 6:40 PM
By: John McLoughlin

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Democrats in the 108th Assembly District will decide tomorrow whether it will be Carolyn McLaughlin, the Albany Council President who is the party's choice, or Cohoes Mayor John McDonald, always a strong voter-getter.

It has not gotten quite as much attention as some of Thursday's primary races, but it is an important one: a very popular mayor is challenging a veteran Albany politician seeking to become perhaps the first African-American from this area in the State Legislature.

Carolyn McLaughlin, is being challenged by Cohoes mayor john McDonald, for the Democratic nomination to succeed Ron Canestrari in the Assembly, and there is no Republican Candidate, so, effectively, tomorrow's primary is the whole ball of wax

Both candidates support same-sex marriage and public campaign financing, and both talk about the need for mandate relief for cities.

Carolyn McLaughlin says it really would be a big deal being the first African-American from the Capital District in the Legislature

McDonald says McLaughlin lacks an understanding. of the non-urban areas of the district which stretches all along the Hudson, from Waterford in the North to the city of Rensselaer in the South

There is a kind of "sleeper" issue in this campaign. The pharmacy that's been owned by McDonald’s family for generations had been penalized for nearly $1.5 million by the state for violations, but then settled for a fraction of that amount.