Two candidates are hitting the streets of Lackawanna looking to win the upcoming mayoral race.

The Democratic incumbent is Annette Iafallo.

“I love helping people,” she said. “It's a passion that I have.”

She’s looking to finish the work she started four years ago, unifying the tax code and bringing business back to the area.

“After Bethlehem Steel left, the burden was all on the few mom-and-pop businesses that were left in the city, and nobody was coming. The growth just kind of started to die," said Iafallo. "Now, we've got businesses moving from out of the city into the city, buying property in the city. It's amazing what's happened in a short period of time.”

On the Republican side is city worker Robert Reese.

“Working for the city and seeing what we do from the inside is really what made me run for mayor," he said. "It's just time for change.”

He’s running to offer more activities for kids and seniors and fix the problems he sees on a day-to-day basis.

“No more milling and filling. If you look at the street right here, curb doesn't even exist here anymore. City of Lackawanna will come through and fill this and then it'll look like this again in five years," said Reese. "There's no curb, the whole back-end. Them's the things I know, and we just can't keep doing this.”

There is one they both agree on.

“I'd like to start a charter revision committee after I'm re-elected in my last term,” said Iafallo.

“There's just things in there that don't apply in today's world," said Reese. "That needs to be gone through.”

Iafallo says her resume separates her from her opponent.

“He's got absolutely no experience in government,” she said.

Reese sees it a different way.

“Her being a career politician...everybody knows you owe," he said. "All that means is you made all your deals before the election, and then it's not really for the people. It's for the people you've made a promise to.”

Iafallo says she’s worked and raised children in the area for a long time and only started running because her community and colleagues asked.

At the beginning, those weren’t even paid positions.

As for favors, she says she gives jobs to those who are qualified whether or not she knows them.

“I think my five-plus years on the city council a year as council president and now with last four years as mayor, it makes me a great candidate to be re-elected,” she explained.

Both candidates are ready to serve.

“I’m a people person. I want to help and I just want to make our city vibrant again,” said Iafallo.

“There's a change coming," said Reese. "A vote for me is an actual vote for everybody in this city, not just a select few.”

That's why they’ll both do all they can to emerge victorious.