Barbara Boxer, Carla Fiorina | featured news

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.

Democrat Jerry Brown has moved into a narrow lead over Republican Meg Whitman in their fractious contest for governor, while his party colleague Barbara Boxer has opened a wider margin over GOP nominee Carly Fiorina in the race for U.S.