"A tightening congressional race in upstate New York could become the first public referendum on shale-gas drilling and hydraulic fracturing.

Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-N.Y.) has been an outspoken critic of gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale and an advocate of federal regulation of fracturing. His opponent, Republican George Phillips, thinks state regulation is best and supports 'aggressive' development once regulators sign off.

And Phillips attributes his support for drilling as a major reason for his late surge in the polls."

Greenwire had the story October 29, 2010. [2]