A lot hangs in the balance of just one contest: the State Senate race between Republican incumbent Joe Robach and Democrat Rick Dollinger. Party activists on both sides see this race as a strategic linchpin to control of the Senate, where the GOP holds a single-seat majority.

It's as close as state politics gets to a life-or-death struggle and the candidates are acting the parts. Each knows that if he wins, his party stands a better chance of being in the majority. And with that comes heavy influence on state policy.

Arguably, the race for the 56th Senate District - which covers parts of Brighton and Rochester along with Greece and Parma - is this year's most-watched state political contest in both the halls of Albany and Western New York living rooms.

Dollinger is, in part, banking on the numbers. Registered Democrats far outnumber registered Republicans in the 56th District. Democrats make up 46 percent of registered voters while Republicans make up 27 percent. Unaffiliated voters account for 23 percent. Dollinger has hammered on the message that Robach doesn't represent the district's values. Put a Democratic Senate in place, he says, and there will be progress on paid family leave, campaign finance reform, health care, LGBT rights, and environmental issues like energy conservation and an expanded bottle bill.

Dollinger is campaigning as a reformer - a guy who will fight to change Senate rules to make the body fairer, more open, and more democratic. The system that lets the majority leader control which legislation makes it to the floor needs to go, he says. Instead, the recommendations of the Brennan Center report, which lay out ways to give individual legislators a better chance to have legislation considered, should be put in place, Dollinger says.

There's a hitch in that plan, however - some of the district's political power-brokers say that Robach does represent their values and that he does it well. Jim Bertolone, president of the Rochester and Genesee Valley Area Labor Federation, a man normally aligned with Democrats, appealed to union members to back Robach. For his votes in the Senate, the state AFL-CIO gave Robach a 100 score.

And few local political observers have forgotten "Democrats for Joe Robach." In 2004, some local Democratic heavyweights put out a letter backing Robach because, they said, of his support for the community and for making sure Rochester was a priority in Albany.

Robach's counting on that kind of broad appeal to win the election. The theme running through his ads is that he's a lawmaker who works across party lines and looks out for Rochester's needs.

Robach is a tireless campaigner, showing up at countless press conferences, marches, rallies, and sausage roasts, often with a check in hand. He's brought $2.5 million in member items to the area so far this year. 

Both candidates are experienced campaigners and experienced legislators. Dollinger held the seat for 10 years before Robach took over - and each enjoys strong pockets of support in the district.

The last publicly released poll conducted in the race showed Robach ahead by 10 points. That's not an insurmountable lead. And in contests as intense as this one, the last month is often the most crucial.

Right now, the key issue in Albany is the budget. The financial sector has been in chaos and every couple of weeks revised revenue forecasts show the state getting less and less tax revenue from Wall Street.

But the budget has always been an issue in New York, along with state spending and taxes. Robach voted for both a spending cap and a school property tax cap. Dollinger supports a property tax cap only if it's tied to a "circuit breaker" - a provision that ties property taxes to income. Dollinger also wants budget cuts before increased taxation, but if new taxes are necessary, he backs the Assembly's plan for a modest tax increase on New Yorkers making more than $250,000 a year. And he also wants tax cuts for anyone making less than $80,000 a year, he says.

To help create jobs, Dollinger says that the state should direct more money to research at area colleges, universities, and businesses. One of his ideas is to create a green jobs investment fund - public and private investments would be pooled for new fuel cell, biofuel, and alternative energy projects.

Robach says that the Senate is already providing research funding. An example, he says, is the $10 million state grant he helped land for RIT to build facilities for the Golisano Institute for Sustainability.

Both candidates see green technology and biotechnology like stem-cell research as potential economic growth areas for the region.

Both candidates also say that they want to see public authority reform. Robach supports an IDA reform bill introduced in 2006 by State Senator George Maziarz. The bill hasn't passed the Senate. It includes local hiring and prevailing-wage provisions, as well as a mechanism to recapture any benefits given to companies that don't live up to job-creation promises.

Dollinger says IDA and Empire Zone tax breaks should go to companies that create well-paying jobs and shouldn't go to companies that outsource jobs overseas. Prevailing wages, local hiring provisions, and a system to recapture benefits from companies that don't live up to job-creation promises should be put into place, he says.

The LGBT community is paying close attention to the Robach-Dollinger race. Local and state activists say that they're frustrated because Senate Republican leaders haven't moved on important civil rights issues. While the Assembly passed a bill legalizing same-sex marriage, the Senate has yet to take it up. The Senate has also stalled on the extension of anti-discrimination laws to protect gender identity and expression - the perception people have of being either male or female and how they express that perception. The Empire State Pride Agenda has endorsed Dollinger as part of its campaign to build LGBT-friendly Senate leadership.

Dollinger supports gay-marriage equality. Robach supports civil unions with the same legal protections as marriage.

There are clear differences between the two candidates on some of the other so-called "litmus test" issues. Dollinger is pro-choice and Robach is anti-abortion except in cases of rape, incest, and the physical well-being of the mother.

In June, Robach voted in favor of legislation (Senate bill S4632) that would reinstate the death penalty in New York. Dollinger is opposed to the death penalty and argued against it during his time in the Senate. His speech on the Senate floor was cited by the State Court of Appeals in its decision to strike down capital punishment.

Joe Robach

Age: 50

Residency: Greece

Party: Republican, Independence, Conservative

Education: Master's degree in public administration from SUNY Brockport.

Occupation: State senator, elected in 2002. Before that, served as a state assembly member for 11 years.

Rick Dollinger

Age: 57

Residency: Brighton

Party: Democratic, Working Families

Education: Law degree from Albany Law School, bachelor's degree from St. Michael's College at the University of Toronto.

Occupation: Attorney at Underberg and Kessler. Served as state senator from 1992-2002. Brighton town justice from 2006 to 2008.