Dispatches from the campaign trail, October 21, 2014

• U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan comes out with an ad defending herself from reporting suggesting her family businesses benefited from federal taxpayer handouts.

• Yours truly’s take on all this is here. CJ’s reporting and analysis is here. And Politico discusses the state of Hagan’s Senate race with Thom Tillis here.

• Unless the situation changes, Tillis will have the stage to himself tonight at a “debate” sponsored by McClatchy Newspapers and set to air on Time Warner Cable. Hagan has refused to show.

• The latest Senate survey from the Democratic Public Policy Polling firm shows Hagan maintaining a 3-point lead over Tillis. Also of interest, Republicans defeat Democrats 46-44 in the “generic” vote for General Assembly.

• Ace First Amendment attorney John Bussian writes a terrific column about judicial candidates and open government.