One of the city's most hotly contested state Senate races is in a Brooklyn district that's represented by a Republican.

State Senator Martin Golden is facing a challenge from Democrat Andrew Gounardes, who unsuccessfully ran against him in 2012.

NY1 will host a debate between the two candidates that will air on Inside City Hall at 7 p.m. on October 25. Here's a brief look at the race.

A Republican in a Democratic city

Golden has represented this southern Brooklyn district since 2003. He and Andrew Lanza of Staten Island are the only two Republican state Senators who represent New York City districts.

His voting record is also conservative. He voted against gay marriage in 2011. He opposed, and voted to block, a City Council-approved five-cent fee on NYC grocery bags.

 

Golden took a lot of heat in 2013 for his opposition to a plan to start a pilot program for speed cameras in 2013 – though he has recently expressed his support for the "continuation and expansion" of speed cameras across the city.

 

 

He expressed support for the stripping of funding from "sanctuary cities," including New York City, that shelter undocumented immigrants. He also expressed opposition to an executive order that granted all New York State parolees the right to vote.
 

 

The longtime lawmaker is known for focusing on hyperlocal issues. He recently went out onto a traffic island in Gerritsen Beach to call for its removal.

 

 

Is the second time the charm?

Gounardes ran against Golden in 2012 and lost. But he is hoping the political climate will work in his favor this year, and he's getting a lot of help from his own party.

With the exception of a brief period nearly 10 years ago, Democrats have not held a majority in the state Senate for decades. They are hoping that Donald Trump's unpopularity among members of their party gives them new energy at the polls across the state.

Gounardes is hoping that increased turnout among progressives can score him an upset in a district where Democrats actually outnumber Republicans.

 

His supporters include Governor Andrew Cuomo, who came to his district to show his support earlier this month, and state attorney general candidate Letitia James.
 

 

On his campaign website, Gounardes calls for keeping ICE agents out of courthouses and providing support to immigrant-owned businesses. He also expresses support for certain gun control reforms and for combating climate change.

And for his part, he has made his support for speed cameras a part of his campaign platform.