WILMINGTON Democratic U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan and Republican rival Thom Tillis used every opportunity in their last scheduled televised debate Thursday night to blast each others legislative records and reinforce themes from television ads heading into the final weeks of their tight race.

It was their third debate and second this week, but Libertarian nominee Sean Haugh joined them for the first time during the hourlong program at a Wilmington television studio aired elsewhere in the state.

While Haugh promoted his limited government, anti-war platform, the debates main attractions remained Tillis and Hagan in a race considered to be one of a handful that will determine which party holds the Senate majority in 2015.

Heres the rundown on the debates major themes:

CATCH PHRASES

In her opening statement, Hagan said, North Carolina needs a common sense voice, somebody who will always put the best interest of our state before anything else before proceeding to tell viewers that Tillis puts the interests of the Republican Party and its allies ahead of the people. Its reiterating her strategy to link Tillis to the unpopular GOP-led legislature.

She mentioned at least three times that under Tillis leadership as state House speaker, the legislature let expire the states film production tax credit, a significant issue for the regions large film and television industry. Its been replaced by a less generous grant program.

Tillis said at least a half-dozen times that Hagan was a rubber stamp for President Barack Obamas policies, which Tillis said were dampening the economic recovery. Hes been laser-focused on connecting the first-term senator to the president. If we want to change the presidents policies, we have to change our senator, he said.

MEETING MISSTEPS

Tillis kept harping on Hagan for her attendance record at the Senate Armed Services Committee hearings this year and emphasized Hagans acknowledgement that she missed a February meeting because of a scheduled campaign fundraising reception in New York. The closed meeting on current and future worldwide threats to national security had been rescheduled for the afternoon, Hagan and her campaign said.

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Libertarian joins Hagan, Tillis in final U.S. Senate debate