In final days of campaign, Tillis-Hagan close on spending too

Election Day is Tuesday. Polls show Republican challenger Thom Tillis has tightened the gap with incumbent U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan. Likewise, spending by the Tillis and Hagan campaigns is close.

If you’re turned on the television or the radio in recent days, you might have noticed.

According to the most recent reports to the Federal Election Commission, Hagan’s campaign spent $2.4 million between Oct. 1 and Oct. 15, compared to nearly $2 million spent by the Tillis camp.

That’s a much tighter spending margin than previous reporting periods. From July 1 to Sept. 30, Hagan’s campaign spent $11.6 million, compared to just $2.7 million by Tillis.

But in total, fundraising and spending in the pivotal U.S. Senate race hews somewhat close to what we expect. The incumbent—Hagan—raises more, particularly from those relatively unbridled political action committees, better known as PACs.

However, with total spending in the race expected to surpass a galling $100 million, it’s clear that outside spending groups—packed with the likes of the Koch brothers and Art Pope—are engaged.