Public safety, addressing blight and affordable housing are the key issues being raised by the candidates for mayor, including two-term incumbent Kathy Sheehan. 

Sheehan this fall faces two opponents — Republican Alicia Purdy and Greg Aidala, who petitioned his way onto an independent line — as well as write-in candidate Valerie Faust. 

Addressing crime in cities is not a unique concern to Albany this election year. But none of the candidates — including the incumbent herself — believe the concerns over shootings and violent crime being widespread is an excuse for Albany.

"Albany should be the beacon for the entire region again," Aidala said. "That's the way I see it."

An actor whose family runs a West Hill neighborhood business, Aidala believes city and state officials need to do a better job of making themselves more present in the community. 

"It's just not denounced enough. I've been covering it for three and a half years now," he said. "You would think we're failing an open book test. When are these officials not just in Albany, but across the state, going to get involved and really lift up these communities that need it most."

Purdy, the Republican candidate, is a journalist who says she sees ongoing problems facing policing and blight in the city. 

"I stepped up as a resident, but also as someone who has seen Albany in its best days," she said. 

Purdy believes the city should have started earlier to address community and police relations before the social justice protests of 2020. 

"We need better budgeting for better equipment," she said. "We need a better type of police officer than we've seen in the past and being spread too thin has brought us to this point."

Faust, who lost the June Democratic primary to Sheehan in June, is running a write-in campaign. 

"You just write the name in and write it correctly," Faust said. "So that's been a challenge, but we're doing pretty good with that."

Faust wants to address street crime, as well as affordable housing. 

"My approach is a people approach, my approach is an empathetic approach," she said. "Listening to people, caring about people and making promises that I follow through on."

Sheehan is seeking a third term and over the next four years wants to make sure federal aid is wisely spent in the city. She's running on a track record of significant investment in the city's downtown, and a continued push to make the city more affordable, especially for people of color seeking to buy homes. 

"Now we have to make sure we're spending it in ways that when we look back at it 10 years from now, we can say we really changed the trajectory," she said. 

Sheehan acknowledges public safety in the city must improve after a rash of shootings, including one at an unauthorized night club. To address strained resources, Sheehan says a new academy class of Albany police officers will augment the department. 

"We are out in the community," she said. "Obviously when your resources are strained you can't be out as much as you want to be. But our police officers want to be out in the community and are out in the community. I see our police officers doing amazing things for our community every single day."