North Carolina Senate Race Tightens

We mentioned here recently how the arrival of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin on the GOP presidential ticket gave a boost to a struggling Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) in his Senate reelection bid.

Apparently, though, that rule doesn’t apply everywhere. According to CQPolitics, North Carolina Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R) — who held a comfortable lead over Democratic challenger Kay Hagan for most of the year — is now fighting for her life.

From CQPolitics:

[W]hile state Sen. Kay Hagan … once appeared a distinct underdog to Dole, there are multiple signs that this is emerging as one of the year’s key battleground races.

Because of these shifts, CQ Politics has changed its rating on the race, which was Republican Favored, to its tossup category of No Clear Favorite.

There’s much at stake here, with Democrats still eying that magical, filibuster-proof 60-member majority in the upper chamber. North Carolina, always on their radar, now appears achievable. Gonna be a whirlwind ride to November.