Democrat Nick Clooney, who is running for Congress in Kentucky's 4th District, held a rally in the high school gymnasium in his hometown of Augusta. About 200 people, mostly schoolchildren, turned out to see Clooney, incumbent U.S. Rep. Ken Lucas of Boone County and Miss America 2000, Heather French Henry, who was born in Augusta.

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Clooney is running against Boone County Republican Geoff Davis for the seat Lucas is retiring from after three terms in Washington.

"I'm feeling good about this, I really think we are going to win this," Clooney said to loud cheers in the tiny gym.

Davis started his day on the western edge of the 24-county District, giving an early morning interview to the Fox News affiliate in Louisville.

He then did "retail" politics by knocking on doors in Oldham, Boone, Kenton and Campbell counties, said his campaign manager, Justin Brasell.

"We've had hundreds of volunteers knocking on doors and making phone calls to make sure our voters get to the polls on Tuesday," Davis said Monday. "We're organized, we're working hard, and I know that will pay off at 6 p.m. tomorrow," when the polls close.

Kentucky's U.S. Senate candidates took to the air, conducting fly-arounds that took them to airport rallies across the state.

U.S. Sen. Jim Bunning, a Southgate Republican, held an early evening rally at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. A crowd chanted "six more years" and waved campaign signs as Bunning arrived for his seventh and final stop of the day.

Beside his wife, Mary, and surrounded by many of his 35 grandchildren, Bunning was deeply reflective in a short speech as he recalled his early races for congress, talked about his family and thanked his supporters.

But Bunning was also in deep campaign mode, saying Davis "is going to do it" over Clooney and telling people to make sure they vote in favor of Kentucky's constitutional amendment that would prohibit legal recognition of gay marriage and civil unions.

He also talked of spending time Sunday with President Bush, who was in Cincinnati for a rally at Great American Ball Park. The president is leading John Kerry by double digits in Kentucky in recent polls and could provide big coattails for Bunning, Davis and other Republicans.

"The Bush/Bunning team will represent your values in Washington, D.C., better than anyone else," he said. "We believe like you do. We believe in good, conservative, Kentucky values. We stand firm on the war on terror."

Bunning's opponent, Daniel Mongiardo, made several stops around the state but did not land in Northern Kentucky.

"Every vote is important," Mongiardo said during a stop in Louisville, a heavily Democratic area vital to his hopes for an upset today. "That's why we're going to continue to campaign throughout the day, throughout the night and all day tomorrow."

Mongiardo, a surgeon and state senator from Hazard, appealed to Bush supporters to back him, and promised to work across party lines on such issues as health care, education and job creation, if elected.

The race, once considered a walk for Bunning, tightened to single digits in the final weeks, according to several polls.

Republicans are bringing their statewide celebration to Northern Kentucky tonight.

The state GOP is holding its election night gathering at the Airport Marriott hotel in Hebron. Gov. Ernie Fletcher is scheduled to attend; so are Bunning, Davis and state Sen. Jack Westwood of Crescent Springs, who is challenged by Fort Mitchell Democrat Kathy Groob.

Democrats, Clooney and Groob among them, will converge at the Best Western Hotel, formerly the Holiday Inn, on Dixie Highway in Fort Mitchell.

Even at this late stage there are still some voters undecided on the 4th District race.

Debbie Augsback, 41, is a registered nurse and Taylor Mill Democrat who plans to vote for John Kerry. But she hasn't made up her mind about Clooney or Davis.

"I'm tired of both of them," Augsback said. "And I really don't like either of them."

Augsback said she planned to use Monday night to decide.

"I have all of their campaign material sitting at home, so I'll read it and make my decision then," she said.

A record 2,794,286 voters are registered in Kentucky, according to Secretary of State Trey Grayson, a Kenton County native and Boone County resident.

Since the May 18 primary 87,693 new voters registered, an increase of 3.14 percent, according to Grayson's office.

With so many new voters and turnout of 70 percent or more expected the lines at many polling places would most certainly be longer than in year's past, election officials are predicting.

The Associated Press contributed. E-mail pcrowley@enquirer.com