BOSTON (Legal Newsline) - An advertisement for Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley's senatorial campaign misspelled the name of the state Monday night.

After a three-person debate Monday night, an attack ad on Republican state Sen. Scott Brown paid for by the state's Democratic Party spelled it "Massachusettes."

The ad was "authorized by Martha Coakley for Senate and approved by Martha Coakley."

"The punchlines write themselves: Before you represent a state in the Senate, shouldn't you learn how to spell its name?" Jim Geraghty wrote for National Review Online.

"This isn't the sort of thing that sways votes, but it does suggest a certain haphazard hastiness surrounding the Coakley campaign; they probably never thought they would have to run attack ads against a little-known state legislator in this state."

Recent polls have shown Brown with anything from a 1-percent lead to a 15-percent deficit.

The Boston Herald live-blogged the debate and included a poll on who was winning. By the end of the debate, Brown was receiving 86 percent of the votes, Coakley 9 and Independent candidate Joseph Kennedy 5.

The three are vying to succeed the late Ted Kennedy. A special election is being held Jan. 19.

From Legal Newsline: Reach John O'Brien by e-mail at jobrienwv@gmail.com.