While English has a lot going against him, Mrs. Dahlkemper said he’s still got one very serious card in play: 14 years of incumbency that gives him name recognition.

“People know who he is and I'm sure there are some people out there who don’t know who I am,” she said.

English has been taking his battle with Mrs. Dahlkemper very seriously. He launched his first television ads in June.

The ad-war was mostly fought between English and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, who have spent a little over $1 million on advertisements and mailers. English has unloaded with his war chest, dropping $1.6 million since Sept. 30.

Mrs. Dahlkemper was outspent by both English and the DCCC, having dropped only $441,367 since Sept. 30, and releasing her first television ads in early October.

While one anonymous source reported in the Washington, D.C. media suggested national Republicans were writing English off, the National Republican Congressional Committee has pitched $683,000 into the 3rd District battle so far, said spokesman Ken Spain. The NRCC is also well behind the DCCC in terms of money raised this year.

The ad wars went negative very quickly. English attacked Mrs. Dahlkemper on not releasing her federal tax returns. Mrs. Dahlkemper said it was because her returns hold vital information concerning her small business that would give competitors an unfair advantage, endangering her employees.

The DCCC attacked English on economic issues, including several ads that claimed English supported privatizing social security.

English called the DCCC on the social security issue, referring to it as an outright lie. Though privatization never came to a vote, he said he was a vocal opponent. He also received endorsements from the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, who also oppose privatization.

Going into the home stretch of the election on Sept. 30, both Mrs. Dahlkemper and English had near the same amount of money left in their coffers: Mrs. Dahlkemper $274,850 and English $394,011.