President Joe Biden made another trip to upstate New York on Thursday to tout the long term investment that Micron, a chip manufacturer, is making in the Central New York region.

John Mannion, a Democrat seeking re-election to the state Senate, said the investment will make the region a “hub of the semiconductor industry.”

Rebecca Shiroff, a Republican businesswoman seeking to unseat Mannion, said the project was a culmination of years of work by Republican county legislators and the county executive, which was aided by Democrats. Shiroff said the visit by the president was “exciting” but the event at Micron turned into a “Republican bashing session.”

Both candidates for the 50th Senate District said the project will have positive impacts on the region and the country. Both said more needs to be done to strengthen the business community in the area and the state.

Shiroff said more needs to be done to make doing business more affordable in the Empire State.

Mannion, who is in his first term in the state Senate, touted the region’s educational systems, green energy and human capital as reasons for the Micron investment.

“We feel like we’re there to provide the brains and hands to do the work,” Mannion added.

Early voting for local, state, and federal races begin on Saturday and runs through Nov. 6. New Yorkers can head to the polls on Election Day, Nov. 8.