polling

• The latest Civitas Institute poll shows incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Hagan with a 2-point lead, 41-39, over Republican House Speaker Thom Tillis. Libertarian Sean Haugh gets 7 percent. In a straight Hagan-Tillis battle, the Republican tops Hagan by 2 percentage points.

• The Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call rates Hagan the fourth most-vulnerable incumbent entering the fall election season. Republicans need to win a net of six seats to take partisan control of the upper chamber, and Roll Call suggests that the GOP is favored to win at least three of the four open seats. So the N.C. contest could indeed be the deciding matchup for Senate control.

• Supreme Court Associate Justice Robin Hudson, a Democrat, says she will denounce any negative attacks from independent groups against her opponent, Republican Court of Appeals Judge Eric Levinson. Hudson was the target of a nasty independent ad blitz during the May primary season.

• 6th Congressional District nominees Laura Fjeld, a Democrat, and Mark Walker, a Republican, agree to appear together in mid-October on a Triad-area ABC affiliate for an informal discussion. No broadcast debates have been scheduled.

• Rep. Walter Jones, R-3rd District, says if congressional Republicans believe President Obama has exceeded his policymaking authority, they shouldn’t sue him; they should impeach him.