There are a lot of close races here in CT, and both parties (GOP & Dems) are running mudslinging ads independent of the candidates. Most hopelessly distort factual situations to make their point and are purely anti-candidate B (ie, paid for by the national party and not endorsed by candidate A). In fact I would say that those ads run almost as often as the ones by the candidates themselves (the candidate sponsored ads are no slouches in the mudslinging field as well).
We also have the Lamont v. Lieberman v. Schlesinger campaign, which has featured mostly nasty ads from both sides since last April (the GOP candidate is running about 4%, runs no ads at all because he has no money, having been totally abandoned by the state and national GOP party, who are funding Lieberman and supporting him surrepticiously).
We have never been a battleground state in the Presidential elections, now I see what I've been been missing.