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In North Carolina, Sen. Kay Hagan Runs Stronger Than Expected

BRIAN NAYLOR, BYLINE: This is Brian Naylor in Greensboro, North Carolina, where I caught up with 18-year-old Krisha Capellan, who spent this splendid fall day out knocking on doors.

KRISHA CAPELLAN: We're just encouraging folks to vote who have voted in 2012 so - to encourage them to vote for the midterm elections because it's really close. It's really important.

NAYLOR: Capellan is canvassing for Kay Hagen, the Democratic incumbent. The race between her and Republican Thom Tillis was the most expensive in the country. Over $100 million was spent, much of it on T.V. ads.

But in the end, it all comes down to getting out the vote, and Democrats are encouraged. Some 1.1 million early votes have already been cast. Tonight, a group of African-American church and civil rights leaders have planned what they call a Moral Monday push to the polls rally in Greensboro.

David Allen is with the Beloved Community Center and is helping organize the event. Allen wears a T-shirt that says I'm young, I'm black, and I vote.

DAVID ALLEN: We're pretty energized. You can see it in the early voting numbers. And the shifts that we've seen from 2010 to now and the trends that we're seeing that folks are energized and ready to have their voices heard.

NAYLOR: Hagen will need a strong turnout from African-American voters in a state president Obama carried in 2008 but that went Republican two years ago. Here, like everywhere else, Republicans have tried to tie Hagen to the unpopular president, and Democrats are running an online ad urging people to vote tomorrow with a picture of President Clinton. Brian Naylor, NPR News, Greensboro, North Carolina. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

NPR News' Brian Naylor is a correspondent on the Washington Desk. In this role, he covers politics and federal agencies.