The three-way race for mayor of Troy has been marked by allegations of bullying, levied against the Republican establishment from the GOP's own candidate.
The race also takes place against the backdrop of a Capital Region city that has struggled, like many urban communities in upstate New York, with violent crime, questions surrounding policing, and creaking infrastructure.
There are contradictions. Troy is also growing, becoming a city that's been able to spur development in its downtown along the Hudson River. The city government has instituted a garbage tax in a hunt for revenue.
Those issues and more were on display Wednesday at the Spectrum News debate between incumbent Democrat Patrick Madden, Republican Tom Reale, and independent Rodney Wiltshire.
Reale only re-entered the race a day previously, after he dropped his bid, citing family concerns at the time. He said Wednesday he did so because of bullying by the Republican establishment. Reale insisted this wasn't misleading to voters.
"It was a situation where I had to consider what is best for my family at that time," Reale said.
Madden, meanwhile, defended the city's difficulty in repairing municipal pools during his time in office.
"Certainly the South Troy pool will be open. We completed work on that, we have a little bit of concrete to pour, but I think that's scheduled for [Thursday], depending on the rain," Madden said.
Wiltshire, however, blasted the administration for not doing enough.
"You made promises, empty promises, broken promises to the children in this city, especially in South Troy and tried to open the pool on a shoestring budget, even though it was not going to happen," Wiltshire said.
The three men debated the city's controversial garbage tax and debated efforts to bolster Troy's budget. Madden pointed to efforts that have improved the city's credit rating.
"We made an effort in four years to get out and explain municipal finance, walked through the budget, no one said 'here's an item of fat,'" Madden said.
Reale, meanwhile, called for a hiring freeze. Wiltshire and Madden sparred over equipment for first responders.
"You claim a repairing of roofs, you claim [to invest] and their environment is safe to work, but it's just not happening," Reale said. "Please, let's be honest about things."
Madden responded, "I think you maybe need to visit a few firehouses. When the new union leadership came in early this year, I asked them to do a review of all the firehouses and alert me to the issues that need to be done."
During a lightning round question, all three candidates said they would be potentially supportive of allowing a retail cannabis shop to open in the city.