The Granite State's 2002 Senate contest between political heavyweights Jeanne Shaheen and John E. Sununu and its role in determining the balance of power in the United States Senate attracted, along with an open House seat, a great deal of national interest. Because of its prominent position in the presidential nomination process, the state attracted more than its share of national political figures stumping for candidates. The October blizzard of television ads and mailers by the national party organizations and a panoply of allied groups amounted to a “soft money orgy.” Television ads and mailers touted candidate positions on such issues as the environment, reproductive rights, questionable corporate practices, and taxes. Despite finishing with the eighth most expensive Senate race in the nation, all three of New Hampshire's victorious congressional candidates were outspent by their opponents. The increased activity did, however, spur a significant midterm-election voter turnout.