Tillis, Hagan campaigns work to the very end
DURHAM (WTVD) -- There was a last-ditch push for votes in the U.S. Senate race in North Carolina Monday.
A new Elon University poll gives incumbent Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan a slight edge over Republican N.C. House Speaker Thom Tillis. However, two other polls released this week show the race is still too close to call.
Between door knocking and making phone calls, both campaigns were not letting up on trying to attract more voters.
Some Hagan campaign workers were still going door-to-door in the dark Monday evening in Durham.
In Raleigh, phones with the Tillis campaign were humming with dozens of volunteers on the clock.
Most Expensive Senate Campaign Ever
The Hagan-Tills race has already earned the dubious distinction as the most expensive Senate campaign ever. Both candidates hope that bankrolling will pay off come the end of Election Day.
With just hours until the polls opened, and her U.S. Senate seat on the line, Hagan spent the final day of the campaign firing up volunteers in Cary.
"We're going to show the whole country, and our state in North Carolina, that our state is not for sale," Hagan yelled.
It was an ironic rallying cry; Hagan is not hurting for campaign cash. She's more than doubled Tillis in campaign spending, $22 million to Tillis' $9 million.
The state house speaker worked the phones in Charlotte in 11th hour campaign efforts to close Hagan's slight edge in the polls.
"We just want to get people out to vote," Tillis told reporters.
N.C. State political expert Andy Taylor predicts as much as $120 million will be spent on the Hagan-Tillis race come the final tally. It will easily be the most expensive Senate race in the nation's history.
Spending by outside groups has boosted both candidates. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Republicans have spent $21 million so far on Hagan attack ads.
CRP reports Democrats have painted the airwaves with $35 million worth of anti-Tillis commercials.
The ads may leave a negative taste in the mouths of voters, but Taylor thinks the money and all those ads may be the difference come Tuesday.
"If it does ends up being a one or two point victory, [Hagan] may be able to point to the money. Speaker Tillis may frustratingly be able to point to the money as being the difference in a very, very narrow race."
The polls close at 7:30 p.m. ABC11 will have the results as they come in.
