Barbara Boxer, November Elections | featured news

The Republican wave crashing across the nation stopped at the California border on Tuesday, as Jerry Brown won the governorship and U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer claimed a victory that would send her back to Washington for a fourth term.

It's been a rough year for Democrats, but there has been one recent ray of sunshine for the party: Barbara Boxer's polling numbers. Boxer spent most of the cycle around 45 percent in the RCP Average, and by mid-August had dropped to 43.8 percent. Her numbers recovered in September but so did her opponent's -- at one point Fiorina was within .3 points of Boxer in the RCP Average. This is very, very dangerous territory for any incumbent.

The hourlong confrontation may be the Senate candidates' last before the Nov. 2 election. As they head into what could be their final debate, Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer and her Republican challenger, Carly Fiorina, are appealing to voters on parallel tracks, each chipping away at the other's character on the airwaves and each trying to persuade voters that she has a superior approach to turning the economy around.