BROADCASTS.com

In the struggle to control the U.S. Senate, one race in North Carolina \u2014 where the Republican incumbent, Thom Tillis, is trying to hold off his Democratic challenger, Cal Cunningham \u2014 could be crucial.\n\nNorth Carolina is a classic purple state with a split political mind: progressive in some quarters, while firmly steeped in Southern conservative tradition in others.\n\nTwo bombshells have recently upended the race: Mr. Tillis fell ill with the coronavirus after attending an event for Judge Amy Coney Barrett\u2019s Supreme Court nomination without a mask. And Mr. Cunningham\u2019s image was sullied by the emergence of text messages showing that he had engaged in an extramarital affair.\n\nJonathan Martin, a national political correspondent for The Times, talks us through the race and examines the factors that could determine who prevails.\n\nGuest: Jonathan Martin, a national political correspondent for The New York Times.\n\nFor more information on today\u2019s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily\xa0\n\nBackground reading:\xa0North Carolina is a linchpin in the 2020 election \u2014 the presidency and the Senate could hinge on results in the state.Here\u2019s how the critical senate race was engulfed in chaos in a single night.