In Rensselaer County, Democrat Tiffani Silverman, who is running against Republican Steve McLaughlin, said the incumbent and his administration haven’t done enough work to improve infrastructure or economic development, nor have they considered the local impact of the Trump administration. Silverman says other counties and municipalities have made moves to invest in technology in ways Rensselaer has not.
“Rensselaer County is at risk of being left behind when it comes to the jobs and other benefits resulting from these investments, and that's because Rensselaer County is mostly ill prepared for the future,” Silverman said.
McLaughlin, however, sees his service differently:
“I think that our results speak for themselves,” McLaughlin said.
The Republican touts his work over the last eight years as the reason he should remain in office. Under his tenure, McLaughlin has overseen aging infrastructure replacement, while also supporting the county’s youth and elderly populations, and boosting sales tax revenues.
McLaughlin says his administration has monetized the county by paving roads, literally driving in more traffic. The county paves up to 45-miles of road per year, he says.
Silverman, a human resources advisor, says she could lead effectively, even though she has never held elected office. In response to a question about her qualifications, Silverman criticized McLaughlin’s focus on other jobs, like when he weighed a run for Congress and considered positions at the Albany International Airport and Hudson Valley Community College.
“So, there are so many other things that he's investing his time in but he's not investing in the county. And so, you know, that really catapulted me forward to really put my all into this and to run and to show people. You know, this is what leadership looks like to someone who really wants the job,” Silverman said.
Silverman noted that while nursing homes have been built, some aspects of the county have been left untouched. Silverman says she has an idea for a new master plan, including upgrades to emergency services in the county’s rural areas, and plans to eradicate childcare deserts.
McLaughlin pointed out that last year, the county invested $92.8 million on the renovation and building of several county offices and the correctional facility, senior centers in Hoosick Falls, East Greenbush and Troy and water infrastructure in Schodack.
McLaughlin says the county’s 2025 projects are valued at $132 million and include renovating several county-owned nursing home facilities like Van Rensselaer Manor, upgrades to the highway garage, and the construction of eight new pickleball courts at the county office building in East Greenbush.
McLaughlin says the county doesn’t have unlimited funds. Speaking with WAMC, McLaughlin says Silverman’s ideas come from a “lack of understanding of what government does.”
“So, a lot of her stuff is just typical, you know, far left talking points. But that being said, it's really just going to come down to a financial acumen,” McLaughlin said. “Who do the people trust to handle what is their money? And I do think that for eight years, I've proven that, as someone said, I'm tighter with the public's money than I am with my own, and that's my job is to be tight with the buck, maximize our resources and make this county be the best it can be.”
Election Day is Tuesday, November 4.
