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Apple, McCoy Announce Reelection Campaigns

Albany County

Albany County Executive Dan McCoy and Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple kicked off their re-election campaigns Sunday. Top Democrats are closing ranks behind the two candidates early in the election season.

The duo promised a packed house at the Albany Labor Temple they'll continue to improve Albany if they’re reelected.  Both Democrats pointed to their track records over the last three years, saying the people they serve are the reason they want to run again. Apple telling the crowd:  "Public service is one of the greatest things you can do in a lifetime, and we got a lot of good things done, we've got a lot of good things coming, and we're not ready to walk away yet."  That audio courtesy Time Warner Cable.

In endorsing Apple, who does not have an opponent at this point, Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan noted he's "been a great partner."    "We've worked very closely with him and the initiatives that he's undertaken. Its really been an important part of the justice side of what we're doing her in the police department."

Dan McCoy, a former county legislator, chalks up his successes to his brand of "creative government."    "Partnering with Sheriff Apple and Distict Attorney Soares, it shows working together you can achieve so much for the people. I got criticized four years ago for saying I was gonna treat county government as a business, and strive to make a profit."

McCoy says his plan worked and shareholders, being the taxpayers of Albany County, were the winners...  "Because we don't have to raise taxes. We were under the cap last year, we're at zero percent this year and we're giving what people need."

Democrat Dan Egan, currently serving his second term on the Albany city school board, has said intends to primary McCoy. He told WAMC in January the incumbent has failed to serve both citizens and businesses.  "Well, I think this is gonna be a people-powered grassroots campaign and I think I've got the skills to do the job."

Egan, who says he'll file to run in mid-March,  is outspoken in his criticism of charter schools and believes he holds the key to a more unified, dignified county government. He counts Albany Common Council Member Judd Krasher among his supporters. But McCoy has the endorsements of more powerful Democrats: U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, Congressman Paul Tonko and Mayor Sheehan.  "Dan McCoy has been a great partner. He has announced his re-election bid. He and I are working together on a number of initiatives to try to reduce costs, to try to work together to avoid duplicating services. We've been working very closely on the oil trains issue, on housing homeless veterans, and I look forward to continuing to work with him," said Sheehan.

Egan and McCoy are scheduled to appear before the Albany County Democratic Party's Candidate Review Committee in March. The committee's endorsement is expected in April.

Dave Lucas is WAMC’s Capital Region Bureau Chief. Born and raised in Albany, he’s been involved in nearly every aspect of local radio since 1981. Before joining WAMC, Dave was a reporter and anchor at WGY in Schenectady. Prior to that he hosted talk shows on WYJB and WROW, including the 1999 series of overnight radio broadcasts tracking the JonBenet Ramsey murder case with a cast of callers and characters from all over the world via the internet. In 2012, Dave received a Communicator Award of Distinction for his WAMC news story "Fail: The NYS Flood Panel," which explores whether the damage from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee could have been prevented or at least curbed. Dave began his radio career as a “morning personality” at WABY in Albany.
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