UTICA - Larry Sharpe hopes to be the first-ever third-party candidate elected governor in New York State, suggesting he won't get much competition from current Governor Andrew Cuomo.

"People are accepting him just as the guy who's there, but they're not actively voting for him. How do I know that? Because 70% of New Yorkers don't even vote. They've given up," the Libertarian candidate said during a stump stop Thursday at Character Coffee in downtown Utica.

Sharpe, from New York City, started the morning at Utica Coffee Roasting Co. in Bagg's Square. He described a political climate in New York he feels will pave the way for the election of a third-party candidate for governor.

"Right now, in 2018, in a statewide election, a Republican can't win," said Sharpe. "The state is simply too blue."

Curious voters trickled into the coffee shop to hear what the candidate, who is neither a Republican nor a Democrat, had to say.

"Very nice guy, very personable, has a lot of information. I'm looking forward to hearing him speak to the group a little bit more. He has a pretty impressive resume," said Mike Gentile.

Sharpe, who as a Libertarian believes in the protection of personal property, weighed in on the volatile issue of building a new hospital in downtown Utica.

"Who is the government to say, 'I should take your property'? Eminent domain should only be used, one - as an absolute last resort, and two - when not using it would cause damage to someone. There is no damage here," said Sharpe.

Click on the video player to hear additional comments from Sharpe.