Steve Israel (Getty)

Rather than spending his weekend at home in his Long Island district, New York Democrat Steve Israel is making the rounds in upstate New York, the home base of Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand , his potential rival in the 2010 Senate primary.

Israel hasn’t ruled out a run, and his visit to greater New York certainly couldn’t hurt if he’s looking to raise his profile among voters beyond Long Island.  

The five-term congressman made an appearance Friday with freshman Rep. Eric Massa in his district in Western New York, which includes the outskirts of Rochester. Massa invited Israel to the district to visit the local General Motors Hydrogen Fuel Cell facility and promote green energy jobs in the region.