Albany

There are few times each year — between January and June to be precise — when must-watch politics puts eyes statewide on the Capital Region.

Mid-April, when the Capitol slips into post-state budget doldrums, typically is not one of those times.

Yet when Republican Ohio Gov. John Kasich, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Democrat, and Republican billionaire Donald Trump converge at different locations in the area Monday between the hours of noon and 7 p.m., it will be the first time in Capital Region history when so many presidential candidates have visited in such a short time span, according to historian Jack McEneny, a former Democratic assemblyman from Albany.

"Whenever we would get a candidate it would be maybe in the general election — not in the primary, and certainly not five in a week and three in a day," McEneny said. The historic seven days for our area includes last week's Cohoes visit of former Secretary of State Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz's appearance in Scotia. "This is completely unprecedented."

He said up until the John F. Kennedy era, presidential candidates were most often chosen through backroom haggling among party bosses.

But even when there have been presidential primaries, New York's later-timed primary — plus its left-leaning voting traditions — has led to candidates showing the state very little love, McEneny said. He said visits by presidential candidates to the region even in the general election can be few and far between.

But take into account that both Clinton and Trump have New York ties, factions are warring inside both the Democratic and Republican parties and the required delegates for the nomination still aren't wrapped up on either side, and it all adds up to Monday's likely once-in-a-lifetime event.

"We're a blue state, we tend to be dissed," McEneny said. "To have this kind of attention is extraordinary."

Though both Democratic candidates will have visited large swaths of upstate by nightfall Monday, it's the Republican primary that is likely to be decided north of the Bronx, where 1.5 million of the state's 2.5 million active Republican voters hail from, according to registration statistics, as 2.7 million of the state's 5.2 million Democrats come from just the five boroughs.

But while other areas upstate boast larger voter bases (Erie County alone has more voters of all parties than Albany, Rensselaer, Saratoga and Schenectady counties combined), the Albany media market — stretching from the Hudson Valley into the southern Adirondacks and westward toward Utica — is significant.

"The vast majority of delegates in both party's primaries are allocated by Congressional district," said Bruce Gyory, a political consultant and state University at Albany political science professor. "The Capital District's media market hits at least three of those districts. It stands to reason why they are coming here."

Also consider Albany's importance as a source of news statewide, with reporters for outlets from Buffalo to Long Island and with statewide footprints based full time in the state Capitol.

"You come to Albany and get a Gannett story, that means you're covered in Rochester and Ithaca and Elmira and Westchester," Siena College pollster Steven Greenberg said. "You get an AP story and that can run everywhere across the state. You do have additional coverage out of Albany that you don't have in the regions."

Even if accounts of Monday's events will be read statewide, it's still likely that thousands will descend on the city of Albany throughout the day, including potentially more than 10,000 for Trump's Times Union Center rally at 7 p.m. Still, State Office of General Services spokeswoman Heather Groll said Monday's events should not impact state workers during the day as employees park in dedicated lots, not those open to the general public.

But considering doors open for the Trump event at 4 p.m., those attending might have trouble finding parking if the work day is still in full swing. A section of South Pearl Street will also be closed for the day.

Kasich will hold a private meeting at the Fort Orange Club at 110 Washington Ave. at noon — only two hours before Sanders will take the stage a block away at the Washington Avenue Armory at 2 p.m., where the capacity is 4,300 people. Albany police said the bus stop in front of the Armory will be closed, and parking will be restricted on nearby Elk Street. But Washington Avenue as of Sunday was scheduled to remain open.

Kasich is then holding two public events — one at La Salle Institute in Troy at 2:30 p.m. and another at the Saratoga Springs City Center at 5:30 p.m. Williams Road around La Salle could be detoured during the event.

The candidates were still allowing people Sunday to sign up for their events on their respective websites.

lstanforth@timesunion.com • 518-454-5697