Spotlight on race for Robach's seat

Joe Robach was seven when the Republicans first captured the state Senate in 1965. He's grown up, to become a member of their majority. And now, that majority could hinge on his seat, his performance, in November's elections.

"While I'm not a very partisan person, and I work with everybody, my priority is the people of Rochester, and the best way to serve them, is to try and keep this majority intact."

The GOP is vulnerable, and Democrats can sense it. Brighton supervisor Sandy Frankel is running against Robach, and is so confident the Democrats will take the Senate in November, that she's using Robach's majority argument, against him.

"In order to ensure that we get our fair share of resources for the Rochester area, we need to have someone who's in the majority, and that means a Democrat."

Where there's one optimistic Democrat, there's another. Rick Dollinger, a former senator himself--who wants his old seat back, is expected to officially join the race soon. Why? Because the tone in Albany has changed since he was last there in 2002. In 2002, Dollinger was replaced by Robach, who says he has one more reason against electing a Democrat. Robach says a Democratic senator would be controlled by downstate powers, and fighting for Rochester, he says, would take a back seat. "What makes them so much want to get rid of me, is I really have been an independent voice, who's worked with everybody, and because that's an enigma, they almost seem to want to fight that more, rather than embrace it."