Candidates Will Likely "Play It Safe" in First Senate Debate

Caution may be the key word in the upcoming first debate between Sen. Kay Hagan and Republican challenger Thom Tillis.

At this point, the race is too close to call, with most polls showing that it is a dead heat.

Kenneth Fernandez directs polling at Elon University. He says he's expecting the candidates to play it safe to avoid making gaffes that could make the rounds on social media and in political ads. 

“With the Internet and with the TV ads, that one kind of foot-in-the-mouth can be played over and over again,” he says.

Fernandez says that unlike a national presidential debate, the effects of senate debates are harder to measure because so few people watch them. But with a race this close, there may be a chance for the candidates to gain some ground.

Martin Kifer directs polling for High Point University. He says the Hagan-Tillis race is among the closest in the country, and that will bring some national attention to the debate.

“We are blessed - or some probably would say cursed - with having very competitive elections at the top of the ticket these days in North Carolina," he says. "We saw it in 2008; we saw it in 2012; we are now seeing it in the Senate race.”

The first Hagan-Tillis debate is scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday. A second debate is scheduled for October 7^th.