His principal challenger, the Republican Ed Munster, almost beat him two years ago, a sign of some voter weariness with Mr. Gejdenson.

Nor have their principal challengers defined themselves clearly.

Then he was the principal challenger for Rossi's crown until 2005.

A term-limited state representative, Jane H. Smith, another retired educator, was Peacock's principal primary challenger in the heavily Republican district.

The electorate was coming to see the political system as a left-right battle between the principal challengers on those wings of British politics, Labour and Conservative.

Keel instead was nominated in the Republican runoff primary over his principal challenger, Kirk Ingels, 7,484 (62.4%) to 4,509 (37.6%).

As in Torbay, the principal challengers to the Tories are the Liberal Democrats.

But he added, "I am the only authentic conservative left in the race, and I am the principal challenger to Bob Dole for the Republican nomination."

In that regard Mayor David Dinkins and his principal challenger, Rudolph Giuliani, put on an informative show last week.

The principal challenger to Venus Williams in this tennis tournament is her sister Selena.