Sen. Kay Hagan, D-N.C., shakes hands with Republican Thom Tillis as Libertarian Sean Haugh looks on. (Gerry Broome, AP)
North Carolina’s hotly contested Senate race — already the most expensive battle of the midterms — has officially crossed the $100 million mark, new data show.
As of Wednesday evening, spending hit more than $107 million.
More than 70% of the money has come from independent interest groups eager to shape the race between first-term Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan and Republican Thom Tillis, according to a tally by the non-partisan Center for Responsive Politics, which tracks campaign money.
The contests is one of nearly 30 in which outside groups have outspent the candidates themselves.
Others include the Colorado Senate battle, where outside groups have bankrolled more than $60.8 million in ads and other political activity, outpacing the nearly $28 million spent by the candidates themselves. The North Carolina race and the Colorado Senate contest between Democratic incumbent Sen. Mark Udall and Republican Cory Gardner are considered tossups.
The price tag on these races could be even higher because of spending by a slew of non-profit groups that do not report their activity to federal regulators.
