President Bush was in Charlotte Oct. 24 as he made his fifth stop in North Carolina this year.

The reason for his visit was to campaign for North Carolina Republicans, especially U.S. Senate candidate Elizabeth Dole.

Some university students and alumni were there to welcome him, such as Emily Remington, '02, who currently works for the Dole campaign. She helped several students get last minute tickets.

"I knew there were people who wanted to go in January when President Bush was in Winston-Salem, but couldn't," Remington said. "Since I had access to tickets, I wanted to give people the opportunity to see the President."

Erskine Bowles is the Democratic Nominee to replace Jesse Helms and has recently come from behind to challenge Dole in many polls.

According to Jack Fleer, a professor emeritus of political science, "The race is as close as four to seven points in recent polls."

Four points would put the lead within the statistical margin or error, indicating a dead tie between the two. This summer Dole was placing as much as 30-40 points ahead of Bowles.

Many political analysts, including Fleer, see voter turnout as the critical decider in the upcoming election.

Recent election pushes by both candidates have encouraged Democrat and Republican voters to head to the polls Nov. 5 more than ever.

Many political analysts see Bush's presence in North Carolina, a state that was once considered an easy gain for Republicans, as a sign of just how close the race is.

This week former President Bill Clinton is expected to appeal to African American voters to support Bowles, a former Clinton adviser.

The race has also been remarkably expensive. Each candidate has relied heavily on TV advertisements.

According to John Dinan, an assistant professor of political science, "television and radio airwaves will be filled with advertisements in the next few days."

In total the candidates have raised more than million for the election and have spent million already.

The election is especially critical because of the close margins in the U.S. House and Senate. Only one vote divides the Senate.

Democrats only need six seats to gain control of the House.

A Republican-controlled Congress would help Bush's agenda while a Democratic or a divided Congress would stall it.

Yet, Bush has his work cut out for him. In only two elections since 1932 has the party controlling the White House picked up seats in Congress.

Fleer pointed out perhaps the most important aspect of the campaign.

"Regardless of who is elected, the representation of North Carolina in the U.S. Senate will change significantly from that of Jesse Helms, with his ideologically infused rhetoric and orientation to national policy," Fleer said.