Updated: 8:31 p.m.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) plans to air TV ads that former Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) filmed for her before his death in August, she told the Associated Press on Thursday.

Murkowski decided not to use the ads after Stevens died in a plane crash Aug. 9, shortly before her Aug. 24 GOP primary. She lost that race to lawyer Joe Miller and is campaigning in the general election as a write-in candidate. Sitka Mayor Scott McAdams is the Democratic candidate.

She has since contacted Stevens’ family about airing the ads, which she would not describe. She said they would air soon.

Stevens was 86 when he died. He lost his 2008 re-election bid after serving 40 years in the Senate and earning the title of longest-serving Republican Senator. Murkowski has said she considered him a mentor.

Murkowski also released her latest fundraising report Thursday. It covers her fundraising activity from Aug. 5 to Sept. 30, the period during which she lost the GOP primary to Miller and decided to launch a write-in bid.

Murkowski’s campaign took in $311,000 in the period and spent $991,000. She reported $1.2 million in cash on hand as of Sept. 30, and her report did not show she had given any contribution refunds to donors or political action committees. Given Alaska’s inexpensive media markets, her million-dollar account is more than enough to fund a competitive campaign.

A poll released Thursday showed the three-way race a virtual dead heat, with Miller garnering 33 percent to Murkowski’s 31 percent. The poll was conducted for the conservative Club for Growth, which is backing Miller.