The 55th District Senate race pits Democrat Dave Nachbar, a former human resources director at Bausch & Lomb, against Republican incumbent Jim Alesi.

This race hasn't received attention on a Dollinger-Robach scale, but the stakes are just as high: control of the Senate. Right now, Republicans hold a one-seat majority.

Nachbar has a well-developed platform, but a lack of publicity is working against him. A recent Siena College poll showed Alesi leading Nachbar 62 percent to 21 percent among likely voters. A summary of the survey said that Nachbar is "unknown to the vast majority of voters."

The 55th District covers the southern half of Monroe County as well as Penfield, Irondequoit, and parts of Rochester. Republicans have the enrollment advantage, with 36 percent of the registered voters to 34 percent for the Democrats. Voters not registered to any party make up 24 percent of the enrollment in the district.

One of the biggest issues in the district - as well as the entire state - is property taxes, and a cap is one way that state officials want to address it. Alesi voted for a cap - which would mean that school districts wouldn't be able to raise property taxes by more than 4 percent unless that year's budget passes with at least 55 percent of the vote - during the last session of the Senate. Nachbar says that he backs the cap, but only as part of a system that includes a circuit breaker - a provision that ties property taxes to income.

Nachbar says that he wants to see a change in the Senate's rules to divert power from the majority leader to individual lawmakers. A bill to expand bottle deposits to noncarbonated drinks and water is one piece of legislation that could benefit from such a change. The Assembly passed it, but former Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno wouldn't bring the bill to the floor.

"There's always going to be opponents to those things but we need the political power to get it through," Nachbar says.

The budget is going to be a major concern during the next Senate session. The turmoil on Wall Street will mean a significant drop in tax revenue for the state. Legislators need to take a good look at spending, Nachbar says. The looming deficits can be addressed through shared sacrifice, he says, though the only specific area he identifies is member items. Those funds should be incorporated into program budgets, he says.

But the state needs to invest in growth areas, he says. Money for research and development in areas like stem-cell research could bolster the area's economy, he says.

Nachbar is pro-choice, supports same-sex marriage, and opposes the death penalty.

Alesi is going into the race with all the advantages. But it's not just that people know who he is and what he's done for the area. He enjoys some support across party lines, too. At least one prominent Democratic leader says that Alesi has done a lot for the area.

Last month, Alesi announced $4 million in state funds for the Nazareth College performing arts center, which was delayed because of increasing cost projections. He's also helped direct millions of dollars to area universities and hospitals for research, treatment, and improvements.

Alesi has recently taken the lead on several environmental issues. He drafted and sponsored a bill that would require large grocery stores and pharmacies to phase out plastic bags. He also sponsored a bill that requires the state to develop a pilot program to help determine the best way to dispose of unwanted pharmaceuticals.

But state LGBT activists say that Alesi's record on important civil rights issues is wanting. In 2004, he supported a law that would have banned same-sex marriage. Senate Republicans in general have been reluctant to address issues like the extension of anti-discrimination laws to protect gender identity and expression - the self-perception of being either male or female and how that perception is expressed.

Alesi is anti-abortion and in June voted for a bill that would reinstate the death penalty. He is chair of the Senate's Commerce, Economic Development, and Small Business Committees.

City Newspaper could not arrange an interview with Alesi.