Staten Island Advance: “On one side is the sometimes hot-headed Republican incumbent who is facing a 20-count federal indictment. On the other is a career Brooklyn Democratic pol, who, term-limited out of his high-ranking post in the City Council, thought about other city offices before he settled on the idea of the job representing in Congress a borough he knows little about, his claims of deep ties here notwithstanding.”

“That’s the choice voters have. And that’s the choice we have in making an endorsement in a race that could not be much uglier.”

“That choice for us is Michael Grimm. Surprisingly, if a choice is to be made, Mr. Grimm should be that choice, even under these circumstances.”

Politico: “Most of the time, it’s not so hard to tell what Biden’s thinking — he’s just said it. But even his inner circle doesn’t seem to know where his head is on 2016 — whether he is actually going to get in the game or stay on the sidelines, dreaming of his glory days.”

“Throughout the midterms, he has been helping out candidates all over the country. It’s not clear to anyone, though, that there’s been the kind of strategy to help himself he’d need if he were serious about a White House run.”

Wonk Wire: Narrow edge in partisanship Is bad election sign for Democrats

A new Quinnipiac poll in Colorado finds Cory Gardner (R) leading Sen. Mark Udall (D) by seven points in the U.S. Senate race, 46% to 39%.

New York Times: “Washington’s bad habit these days is nail-biting as the two parties nervously execute their midterm endgames and try to navigate the path to power. But political players and election watchers might want to take a moment to savor the uncertainty.”

“Five days before the 2014 election and after $4 billion in spending, we still don’t know for certain what’s going to happen next Tuesday – or beyond… At least six states in the struggle for control of the Senate – Alaska, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, North Carolina and New Hampshire – remain truly up for grabs with runoffs likely in Georgia and Louisiana. Nearly a dozen governor’s races are within the polling margin of error.”

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who is toying with the idea of a presidential bid, joked in a private gathering this month that “white men who are in male-only clubs are going to do great in my presidency,” according to an audio recording of his comments provided to CNN.

Graham also cracked wise about Baptists, saying “they’re the ones who drink and don’t admit it.”

Nate Cohn: “Polls show that the Republicans have an advantage in the fight for control of the Senate. They lead in enough states to win control, and they have additional opportunities in North Carolina and New Hampshire to make up for potential upsets. As Election Day nears, Democratic hopes increasingly hinge on the possibility that the polls will simply prove wrong.”

“But that possibility is not far-fetched. The polls have generally underestimated Democrats in recent years, and there are reasons to think it could happen again.”

A new Elon University Poll finds Sen. Kay Hagan (D) with an edge over challenger Thom Tillis (R) in the U.S. Senate race, 45% to 41%.

A new EPIC-MRA poll in Michigan finds Gary Peters (D) opening a wide lead over Terri Lynn Land (R), 50% to 35%.

“It is Peters’ best margin in any EPIC-MRA poll to date and, significantly, it shows him not only with a 20-point lead among women voters but a 10-point lead among men, who had been trending toward Land in earlier polls.”

A new Quinnipiac University poll in Florida finds Charlie Crist (D) inching in front of his Gov. Rick Scott (R) in the gubernatorial race, 43% to 40%.

“It’s not so much about what could be passed but setting the agenda and debate for the next presidential race.”

— Rep. Steve King (R-IA), quoted by the Daily Beast, on the advantage of the GOP taking control of the U.S. Senate.

Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball: “While many races remain close, it’s just getting harder and harder to envision a plausible path for the Democrats to retain control of the Senate. Ultimately, with just a few days to go before the election, the safe bet would be on Republicans eventually taking control of the upper chamber.”

“We say eventually because there’s a decent chance we won’t know who wins the Senate on Election Night. Louisiana is guaranteed to go to a runoff, and Georgia seems likelier than not to do the same.”

“In the final days before the election, Democrats in the closest Senate races across the South are turning to racially charged messages — invoking Trayvon Martin’s death, the unrest in Ferguson, Mo., and Jim Crow-era segregation — to jolt African-Americans into voting and stop a Republican takeover in Washington,” the New York Times reports.

“The images and words they are using are striking for how overtly they play on fears of intimidation and repression. And their source is surprising. The effort is being led by national Democrats and their state party organizations — not, in most instances, by the shadowy and often untraceable political action committees that typically employ such provocative messages.”

A new EPIC-MRA poll in Michigan finds Gov. Rick Snyder (R) has only a two-point lead over challenger Mark Schauer (D), 45% to 43%.

With undecideds put into the mix, the race is a 46% to 46% tie.

A new Marquette University Law School Poll in Wisconsin finds Gov. Scott Walker (R) opening a lead over challenger Mary Burke (D) among likely voters, 50% to 43%.

The previous poll found the race tied at 47%.

A new Monmouth University poll in Georgia finds David Perdue (R) leading Michelle Nunn (D) by a solid margin, 49% to 41%.

In the race for governor, Gov. Nathan Deal (R) leads challenger Jason Carter (D), 48% to 42%.