With less than a month left in the election season, candidates are entering the home stretch and incumbents in several key races are managing to hold onto slight leads despite the anti-incumbent trend visible across the country.

In the state’s U.S. Senate race, Sen. Richard Burr’s lead in the polls has widened significantly in the past month, during which he released the race’s first campaign-financed television ad, “Front Porch.”

Rep. Larry Kissell in the 8th District, on the other hand, has seen his lead over Republican opponent Harold Johnson dwindle.

Before Kissell in 2008, the 8th District was held by Republicans for 10 years.

In Orange County, both the U.S. House race and N.C. Senate race pit long-time Democratic incumbents against young Republicans.

The U.S. House race between Rep. David Price and Republican B.J. Lawson is a rematch of a 2008 contest, in which Price won 63 percent of the vote to Lawson’s 37 percent.

The 23rd district of the N.C. Senate, where incumbent Ellie Kinnaird faces political newcomer Ryan Hilliard, has historically elected Democratic representatives.

Burr gains momentum

Once considered a legitimate threat to Sen. Burr’s first re-election campaign, Secretary of State Elaine Marshall has struggled to raise money and has slipped in the polls. Barring a significant collapse, look for Burr to hold onto his seat in November.

Elaine Marshall

Poll: 36 percent of voters support Marshall according to the latest Public Policy Polling.
Top campaign issue: Wall Street reform
Funds on hand: Less than $200,000 as of June 30.

Richard Burr

Poll: 49 percent of voters support Burr according to the latest Public Policy Polling.
Top campaign issues: Less government spending, veterans’ affairs
Funds on hand: $6,260,867 as of June 30.

Kissell barely holding seat

Perhaps the closest of the U.S. House races in North Carolina is in the Charlotte-area 8th District, where incumbent Larry Kissell continues to face a serious threat from former sportscaster Harold “The Big Guy” Johnson.

Larry Kissell

Poll: 39 percent of voters support Kissell, reported FiveThirtyEight, an affiliate of the New York Times.
Funds on hand: $292,993 as of June 30.
Note: Kissell, a former textiles worker and social studies teacher, was elected for his first term in 2008.

Harold Johnson

Poll: 34 percent of voters support Johnson, reported FiveThirtyEight, an affiliate of the New York Times.
Funds on hand: $81,730 as of June 30.
Note: Johnson won the Republican primary runoff, defeating Tim D’Annunzio 61 percent to 39 percent.

Price expected to keep seat

While not reflected in the polls, many political experts predict Rep. Price to hold onto his seat despite a challenge from the conservative Lawson, said Dean Debnam, president of Public Policy Polling. Price was widely considered safe until last month.

David Price

Poll: 46.1 percent of voters support Price, according to the latest poll conducted by Action Solutions.
Funds on hand: $293,088 as of June 30.
Note: Price has served two stints in Congress, one from 1987 to 1995 and another from 1997 to present.

B.J. Lawson

Poll: 46.5 percent of voters support Lawson, according to the latest poll conducted by Action Solutions.
Funds on hand: $50,923 as of June 30.
Note: Lawson earned the endorsements of several state tea party groups and fellow libertarian Rep. Ron Paul.

Kinnaird faces newcomer

In the N.C. Senate race in the 23rd District, which includes Orange County, incumbent Ellie Kinnaird is running against Republican Ryan Hilliard. Because it is a state election, there was no polling or campaign finance data available.

Ellie Kinnaird

Ellie Kinnaird is in her seventh term in the N.C. Senate representing the 23rd district. She also served as mayor of Carrboro for four terms, from 1987 until 1996.
Kinnaird serves as the co-chairwoman of the Appropriations on Justice and Public Safety Committee in the senate.

Ryan Hilliard

This is the first foray into politics for Ryan Hilliard, who graduated from UNC in 1999 with a degree in political science.
Since graduating, he has worked as a furniture manufacturer’s representative in Chapel Hill.