How Stacie McGinn could have won a key N.C. Senate seat

All the elements for an upset were there — except for one. Here's a look at an effective attack that would have won her the race.

Stacie McGinn had all the right elements for an upset victory in her suburban Charlotte district.

• An open seat: State Senate District 42 was up for grabs with Rachel Hunt running for lieutenant governor.

• Plenty of money: By the end of the third quarter, McGinn had brought in about $750,000, matching her Democrat opponent virtually dollar-for-dollar.

• A weak opponent: While she had lots of money and the backing of her party, Woodson Bradley struggled to differentiate herself at all.

Based on previous election results, the John Locke Foundation rated the district as D+1, essentially a toss-up. A good campaign could win this seat, and McGinn had the makings of one.

Except for one thing: