The John Locke Foundation played a recent role in North Carolina’s U.S. Senate race, when a television ad criticizing Democratic challenger Kay Hagan cited JLF research about North Carolina’s state tax burden. The News & Observer cited the Locke Foundation in its report on the advertisement, and its “Under the Dome” blog mentioned the work of Fiscal Policy Analyst Joseph Coletti. Meanwhile, JLF experts have contributed to the political debate in other ways. The Clay County Progress recently reported on the role Center for Local Innovation Director Chad Adams in challenging the case for a new land-transfer tax in that county. (More than 60 percent of voters rejected the proposed tax in an election scheduled the Friday before Labor Day.) A conservative columnist in the Wilson Daily Times also noted Vice President for Research and Resident Scholar Roy Cordato‘s opinions on the benefits of offshore drilling for oil and natural gas. In addition, the Future of Freedom Foundation’s “Freedom Daily” featured this week a book review from George Leef of the John W. Pope Center for Higher Education Policy. Leef’s review of the most recent book from Doug Bandow focused on “The Folly of Interventionism.”