Sept. 19, 2002 -- The fight over a U.S. Senate seat from Missouri may be one of the most pivotal contests of the political season, although one might not be able to tell at first glance.

The match-up between sitting Democratic Sen. Jean Carnahan and her Republican opponent, former Congressman Jim Talent, has all the makings of a quintessential Missouri-style political battle royal, with control of the Senate hanging in the balance. But, as of now, it has been a low-key, issue-focused affair.

Carnahan is running to fill the last four years of the term of her husband Mel Carnahan -- a popular Missouri governor who secured the seat despite his death a plane crash just weeks before election day in 2000. Sen. Carnahan has appeared reluctant to sling mud, and Talent, whose previous campaigns were also heavily issue-based, has a reputation for running a clean campaign.

Carnahan's campaign ads have focused on military preparedness, health care and Wall Street reform, while Talent's have taken on issues like prescription drugs, homeland security and intelligence reform, the National Journal reports. That doesn't mean, however, that there's any shortage of excitement in the "Show-Me State."

While the candidates are sticking to the issues in their ads, the state's Democratic and Republican organizations have each complained the opposing party's candidate violated campaign fundraising rules.

The Missouri Republican Party fired the opening salvo, claiming several St. Louis groups coordinated mailings assailing Talent's record with the Carnahan campaign - mailings Carnahan didn't report as campaign contributions.

The state's Democratic Party shot back, accusing Talent of illegally using money from his previous campaigns to fund his current Senate bid, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Both candidates deny the allegations. While women continue to strongly back Carnahan and Talent is doing well with business leaders, the two candidates have earned their enemies as well. The National Journal says Carnahan has lost support among male voters.

She has reportedly been targeted by an anti-abortion group for voting against a ban on "partial-birth" abortion. Talent continues to draw the ire of labor groups like the AFL-CIO, who have railed against his efforts to alter the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration, among other things. "We wouldn't back him for all the tea in China," Missouri AFL-CIO President Hugh McVey told the Post-Dispatch.

With polls indicating the race is still a dead heat -- a recent Research 2000 poll puts Carnahan in the lead with 46 percent to Talent's 45 -- the candidates are taking different approaches to campaigning. Talent has been racing across the state, hoping to drum up enough support to oust a sitting senator.

Carnahan, on the other hand, analysts say, is opting to stick close to Washington to show she's on the job.