Candidates in local Congressional races are hard at work, just a week and a half before the election. Democrats trotted out a big gun from within their party.

As campaign rallies went, it had all the trappings. Recorded rock music, and rock stars.

In the political sense, anyway.

"Please welcome Governor Andrew Cuomo."

Governor Cuomo came to Rochester to pass out endorsements and rally Democrats.

"Are we fired up today? Are we gonna work every day until Election Day?”

The Governor endorsed two Congressional reps in Louise Slaughter and Kathy Hochul. Both are involved in tight, bitter battles.

"There is an extremist school in this Congress like we've not seen before. At the end of the day, their argument is very simple. They don't believe in government and the less government the better."

Cuomo touched on Democratic themes familiar to this political season. Republicans want to ease taxes on the rich, he says, and cut government programs that help working families.

"What this election is about, at the end of the day is stopping gridlock, stopping the extremisms, getting people to come together who want to solve problems and want to work together to solve problems. That's what we believe here in the State of New York."

Cuomo was joined by Lt. Governor Bob Duffy, a homecoming for the former Rochester Mayor. The crowd was made up of politicians and union members from Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 13.

Longtime Congresswoman Slaughter scolded Congressional counterparts for a session of gridlock, using 34 votes to attempt to repeal Obamacare as an example.

"And I think I need to make that point. This term of Congress we are just finishing has been considered by historians and people who really understand and study the Congress to be the worst performing Congress in the history of the Republic,” Slaughter said.

The Governor is not the first Democrat to come here to stump for Slaughter. Last week, it was former President Bill Clinton.

A recent Siena Poll shows a tight race, with Slaughter holding a narrow five point margin over her Republican challenger, Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks.

Hochul, in her own tight race with Republican challenger Chris Collins, didn't speak much. She has laryngitis, but did thank supporters.

The governor plans to also campaign for President Obama in the coming days. As politicians know, ten days before an election, there's a lot of work to be done.

County Executive Maggie Brooks is the Republican running against Louise Slaughter in the race for the 25th Congressional District seat.

She says she's not surprised that former President Bill Clinton and now Governor Cuomo are coming to town to endorse her opponent, a Democrat.

Brooks was at the Rivers Run Senior Living Center campaigning Friday. She says receiving big name political endorsements is just part of politics.

"That's the political part of what we all do. I'm very proud of my relationship with the Governor. I've stood with him on pension reform and mandate reform as County Executive. We have a great relationship. Doesn't surprise me that he would make an endorsement in a political race for Congress," said Brooks, (R). "But you know what, the only endorsement that matters is on Nov. 6th, when people go out and vote. I'm optimistic, the wind is at our back. We have momentum."