• Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan sponsors a new ad, saying she’s “tough enough to keep taking the punches” from her opponents. Some conservatives and Republicans cry foul, claiming Hagan is exploiting the recent firestorm over domestic violence roiling the National Football League.

Meantime, an ad aired during the Sunday network talk shows takes aim at President Obama and the Democrats’ “War on Women” theme:

• A new High Point University poll finds Hagan maintaining a slim lead among likely voters over Republican House Speaker Thom Tillis, 42-40. Libertarian Sean Haugh gains support of 6 percent of the respondents. Obama’s approval rating is 38 percent, with 57 percent disapproving of his job performance. With a margin of error of 5 percentage points, the Senate race remains a statistical dead heat. More results here.

• Republican Mark Walker, who’s running for the open seat in the 6th Congressional District, wins the endorsement of five sheriffs in the district. Last week, the N.C. Troopers Association pledged their support to Walker.

• Citing frustration with the destruction of employee emails and other public records by IRS officials under investigation for targeting conservatives nonprofit groups, the House last week passed a bill sponsored by Rep. Mark Meadows, R-11th, making the destruction of such records by federal employees a firing offense.