Gary McCarthy talks campaign with News10

Primary elections for many municipal offices are happening on June 27. One of the races is for the city of Schenectady. Democrat mayor Gary McCarthy is trying to win a fourth term and he's facing a challenge from city councilmember Marion Porterfield.

SCHENECTADY, N.Y. (NEWS10) - Primary elections for many municipal offices are happening on June 27. One of the races is for the city of Schenectady. Democrat mayor Gary McCarthy is trying to win a fourth term and he's facing a challenge from city councilmember Marion Porterfield.

McCarthy has overseen the revitalization of downtown Schenectady as well as development around Rivers Casino. While he celebrates those accomplishment, he admits the city does have levels of inequity and issues with poverty that leaders have to deal with.

One of those issues is housing. The mayor says Schenectady has increased home ownership the last few years but absent landlords continue to plague the city.

"We are systematically going after those', said McCarthy. He adds, "We've worked with the land bank, with other levels of government to knock down the worst of the worst properties and hopefully create and environment where we're seeing private investment where people are buying these homes, fixing them up and they're able to move into them and call them a home."

The democrat sat down with News10 to discuss the issues facing the city ahead of the Tuesday, June 27 primary.