I have seen far too many ads on YouTube for North Carolina’s Senate race in the past week. While I’ve come to expect this every four years, and indeed, I’ve probably invited these types of ads given my browser history, I’m distinctly unimpressed with those that I have seen.

One common line of attack against Cal Cunningham is the use of alliteration to associate “Cal Cunningham & Corruption,” along with some pointed accusations about him taking tax exemptions. One ad against Thom Tillis makes vague assertions of his suspected greed and egotism while critiquing him for supporting Trump’s agenda.

While it is true that these points are technically reasonable arguments against either candidate, neither are surprising or impactful enough to meaningfully persuade anyone, nor do they do anything to distinguish Tillis or Cunningham from any other generic Republican or Democrat. Given that North Carolina is a swing state in the presidential election, it’s certainly a valid strategy to campaign as a generic party member, but North Carolinians deserve more from this campaign.

This race could help decide which party controls the Senate, which has profound implications regardless of who wins the presidency. And yet, more than likely, the same party will win both races in this state because the Senate candidates have scarcely distinguished themselves.

This is especially important for the Senate, since individual members often have more power than the average house member. Partially, this results from there being fewer senators, 100 versus 435 representatives in the house. But it also stems from the Senate’s unique rules. For instance, at any point, a senator may walk onto the floor of the senate and note “the absence of a quorum,” forcing a roll call and halting all activities until a certain number of senators are in the chamber.

In addition, the Senate is likely to be closely divided after the election, with FiveThirtyEight’s model listing the most probable outcome as a 50-50 split between Democrats and Republicans. Which means when a bill has to be passed, whichever party controls the chamber will need every senator to vote with their party. This allows any senator the opportunity to ask for a bill to be amended and have a strong chance of getting it changed.

By contrast, a “generic party member” probably won’t use their power to effectively advocate for North Carolina’s needs. Both candidates should be explaining the causes they will focus on if elected. We know they will vote the party line almost every time, and we know what policies each party would pass. What we need to know are the policies our senator will focus on during their six years in office. What will make them willing to stop action in the Senate? What will they do to advance the interests of North Carolina students and residents?

Most voters are going to follow their party line regardless, so whether or not Tillis and Cunningham actually give us useful information may not directly impact their futures. However, in a state as closely divided as North Carolina, it might just be the thousand-vote difference that sends them to Washington, D.C. And above all, it would give voters a campaign they care about and can be invested in, helping to engage a broader portion of the population, which is the prime goal of a healthy democracy.