Creative people are joining forces to push their candidates in the hard-fought US Senate race, pulling on networks of artists, photographers, and writers for support and fund-raising as Republican Senator Scott Brown battles his Democratic opponent, Elizabeth Warren.

Karen Riggert, a professional photographer in Groton, was inspired by hearing Brown speak at an event hosted by her friend, state Representative Sheila Harrington, a Republican from Groton. After meeting the senator, Riggert, 54, who served as a member of the Groton-Dunstable Regional School Committee from 1998 to 2004, contacted Brown’s campaign manager with an offer to host a reception in her home.