Dispatches from the campaign trail, July 30, 2014

• Democratic U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan rolls out a new ad saying she’s a bipartisan centrist.

• Hagan’s GOP opponent, House Speaker Thom Tillis, R-Mecklenburg, takes on Democratic Attorney General Roy Cooper’s decision not to defend the state’s lawsuit protecting the constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.

• The massive CBS News/New York Times/YouGov poll of 100,000 registered voters nationally finds Tillis with a 48-47 lead over Hagan. Pollsters will survey the same respondents over the next four months to gauge their changing views.

• Looks like the bill regulating commercial dog breeders known as puppy mills may have to wait for another session. It’s a key priority for Gov. Pat McCrory.