Claire Gilbert in The Columbia Paper profiles the candidates in the April 24 special election for state Assembly District 102 and 107. Republicans Steve McLaughlin and Peter Lopez, used to hold the seats, with McLaughlin elected Rensselaer County executive and Lopez named regional administrator for the EPA last year. Whoever wins faces another election for the same seat in November. In the 102nd District Democrat Aiden S. O’Connor, Jr. (also on the Working Families and Women’s Equality ballot lines), Republican Christopher Tague, (also on the Conservative, Independence, and Reform lines), and independent Wesley D. Laraway running on the on the Best Choice Party line are trying to replace Lopez. Laraway is a teacher at Middleburgh Central School in Schoharie County and operates a privately funded animal rescue facility. O’Connor, Jr. is from Greene County where he serves on the legislature for Durham, and he works as a Regional Business Development Manager for LifeNet. Tague is the Supervisor of Town of Schoharie, and previously worked for McLaughlin. In the 107th District, Republican Jake Ashby (also on the Conservative, Independence, and Reform Party lines) is running against Democrat Cindy Doran (also on the Working Families and Women’s Equality Party lines). Ashby is from Schodack resident, and is an army veteran, and a Rensselaer County legislator, and an occupational therapist. Doran, from Troy, has been a member of the Rensselaer County Legislature since 2013, and was a school teacher in Troy for over 30 years. Voting is from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday, April 24. Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.