SCOTIA — A longtime village police officer will run on the Republican line this fall against the Democratic incumbent in District 3 of the Schenectady County Legislature.

Tim MacFarlane, 55, of Scotia, will face Martin Finn, D-Niskayuna, is a special election Nov. 4 in MacFarlane's first bid for public office.

“I’m running because I am tired of seeing the political infighting at the county,” said the 34-year law-enforcement veteran. “County government has almost come to a standstill. There is bickering and infighting and it is dysfunctional right now There is no progress and there needs to be a change.”

If elected, MacFarlane said he would “bring some insight and cooperation between the two sides and get this county moving forward. I am running to help chart a new course for Schenectady families.”

Democrats appointed Finn to the District 3 seat in February, giving him the status of incumbent in the special election. District 3 comprises Glenville and Niskayuna and is the largest of the four legislative districts, with Republicans outnumbering Democrats 12,613 to 10,581.

Finn replaced Michael Eidens, D-Schenectady, who resigned in January to serve as a judicial hearing officer for the state Unified Court System. The winner will fill the remainder of Eidens’ term and will have to run again in November 2009 for a full four-year term.