Kentucky: Paul slams White House on Ebola. “[T]hey haven’t been completely forthright with us,” US Sen. Rand Paul (R) said about the Obama Administration’s response to Ebola. Paul suggests the White House wants to “downplay” the risks of exposure to cover for its poor handling of the potential epidemic. The Washington Post fact-checker mostly disputes Paul’s claim.
Florida: No bounce from Fangate. When Gov. Rick Scott (R) delayed participation in the debate because former Gov. Charlie Crist (D) had an electric fan under his podium, some thought it would hurt Scott. But the latest Optimus poll for the Miami Herald shows 41% for Scott, 40% for Crist, a too-close-to-call result that has been typical of the race for months. Libertarian Adrian Wyllie got 12%. So far, absentee balloting favors the GOP by 48% to 35%. In-person early voting, which usually favors Democrats, has just started.
Senate snapshot: Real Clear Politics averages show mixed results.
Arkansas: Tom Cotton (R) leads Mark Pryor (D) by 3.6 percentage points.
Georgia: David Perdue (R) leads Michelle Nunn (D) by 0.6 of a point.
Kentucky: US Sen. Mitch McConnell (R) leads Alison Lundergun Grimes (D) by 4.0 points.
Louisiana: Bill Cassidy (R) leads US Sen. Mary Landrieu (D) by 5.3 points.
North Carolina: US Sen. Kay Hagan (D) leads Thom Tillis (R) by 0.7 of a point.