UTICA, N.Y. -- It's a close one, but there's a leader in the Republican primary race for the 119th District. Dennis Bova Jr. leads Frederick Nichols by less than 30 votes.

Bova is from Utica and works in health care. He's been a surgical technician with surgical sub-specialties for the last 11 years.

Bova is against having a new hospital in downtown Utica and said he is concerned about Albany corruption.

Marianne Buttenschon is the Democratic candidate. She is from Marcy and works at Mohawk Valley Community College. Buttenschon also runs a Christmas tree farm with her husband.

She emphasizes the importance of working together and wants to grow cybersecurity programs.

Spectrum News spoke with both candidates about some of the other causes they support.

"I have safety as number one," Buttenschon said. "One needs to feel safe within their home, within their community. So safety is the foundation, and then we build on with economic development as well as training and education."

"Well, obviously end the corruption," Bova said. "I want to fix our health care system. I want to take care of our veterans. I want to start opening the conversation more about mental health, because it's a huge issue."

The 119th Assembly District seat is currently held by Democrat Anthony Brindisi, who is taking on Republican Claudia Tenney in the 22nd Congressional District race.