• As Republican Thom Tillis took the stage for a debate Tuesday next to an empty chair representing incumbent Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan, new ads from both sides are on the air.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee’s ad highlights Hagan and her family’s use of stimulus funds for family-owned businesses.
The Hagan campaign is up with an ad repeating the Democrat’s “war on women” theme.
• MSNBC host Rachel Maddow is not in a happy place as she discusses Kay Hagan’s absence from last night’s debate.
• A Gravis Marketing poll released earlier this week shows Tillis pulling ahead in the race, with 48 percent to 43 percent for Hagan. The stats-heavy 538.com website, which analyzes all the polling, says Hagan still appears to lead in the race, but her prospects are slipping.
• Even before tomorrow’s opening of early voting, Republicans appear to be doing better than Democrats in the absentee phase of the election. The Washington Post reports that Tar Heel State Republicans are “outperforming” Democrats in ballots requested/returned.
• 2nd District Democratic challenger Clay Aiken is up with a new ad going after incumbent Rep. Renee Ellmers’ record, departing from the positive vibe he had promised earlier. USA Today/FactCheck.org finds a number of “sour notes” in the ad.
• Kay Hagan wasn’t the only statewide candidate who skipped out on a debate. State Chief Justice Mark Martin sent a surrogate to debate challenger Ola Lewis at a Tuesday forum featuring the two Republican candidates in Wilmington.
• The Winston-Salem Journal reports that, since no independent polling has been done in the 6th Congressional District, it’s difficult to say if Democrat Laura Fjeld can overcome the district’s heavy Republican tilt in her quest to defeat Republican Mark Walker for this open seat.
