Candidates vying for the 22nd Congressional District seat, which includes Orange County on its southern-most end, are hitting the pavement and campaigning hard this week ahead of the midterm elections.

Rep. Maurice Hinchey, a 10-term incumbent Democrat, says he is feeling optimistic and wants to continue to work on women's reproductive rights and the controversial health care bill passed in Congress this year.

Hinchey is facing a challenge from Republican George Phillips, who says he wants voters to know he does not support privatizing Social Security.

"They're just taking things out of context," Phillips says.

Phillips failed to unseat Hinchey two years ago.