You really didn't think it would be easy, did you?

While there is a spate of good polling news for Republicans in many competitive Senate races, Democratic incumbents are not going to go quietly into that good night.

Embattled Senator Kay Hagan in North Carolina has seen her lead over state senator Tom Tillis slip to just 3 points in the latest poll, while vulnerable incumbent Senator in Louisiana, Mary Landrieu, appears headed for a December runoff against Republican Bill Cassidy.

In Louisiana, Tea Party favorite Rob Maness is polling at 9%, but Sarah Palin is making several appearances for the candidate today and could boost his fortunes.

Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) leads her closest Republican challenger, Rep. Bill Cassidy (La.) by 3 points, according to a new poll, in a key Senate race that may be headed to a runoff.

A CNN/ORC poll released Sunday morning shows 43 percent support for Landrieu and 40 percent for Cassidy. Tea Party candidate Rob Maness was the choice of 9 percent of the respondents.

The telephone survey of 1,013 adults, conducted between Sept. 22 and 25, has a 3-percentage-point margin of error.

The Louisiana race would go to a runoff between the top two vote-getters if no candidate gets more than 50 percent of the vote in November.

Fifty percent of likely voters in the new survey said they would choose Cassidy in that runoff, compared with 47 percent who would pick Landrieu.

Landrieu and Maness each drew 48 percent support in a hypothetical runoff.

In North Carolina, polls over the summer showed Hagan maintaining a slim lead over Tillis despite her unfavorable personal numbers and President Obama's unpopularity. Now the race is virtually tied, with Tillis holding an edge in personal popularity:

Sen. Kay Hagan (D-N.C.) holds a 3-point lead over her Republican challenger, North Carolina House Speaker Thom Tillis, according to a new poll.

The CNN/ORC poll released Sunday morning found 46 percent support among likely voters for Hagan, compared with 43 percent for Tillis.

The phone interview of 1,010 adults between Sept. 22 and 25 has a 3-percentage-point margin of error, however.

Seven percent of likely voters support Libertarian Sean Haugh, who could be siphoning off Republican votes, CNN reports.

Hagan led Tillis by 42 percent to 40 percent in a High Point University poll released last week, with Haugh pulling in 6 percent.

The North Carolina race could be one of a handful that will decide the Senate majority this fall.

Slightly more likely voters, 47 percent, viewed Hagan unfavorably in the new CNN/ORC poll, compared with 46 percent who viewed her favorably.

President Obama carries a stronger disapproval rating among likely North Carolina voters in the new poll, with 58 percent of respondents disapproving and 38 percent approving.

More likely voters viewed Tillis favorably than unfavorably, 47 to 40 percent.

Republicans would love to win both of these races, but it may not be necessasry to win the Senate. With Joni Ernst surging in Iowa and Rep. Gardner giving incumbent Democratic Senator Udall all he can handle, breakthroughs in other states may make victory in Louisiana and North Carolina gravy.