In 60% of the legislative races, the "underdog" candidate raised less than 25% of the funds his or her opponent raised.

As an underdog candidate, he was elected to the Cook County Board of Commissioners in 2002 as a Republican.

During the campaign Licht was seen as the underdog candidate against three term incumbent, later Secretary of the Navy, and U.S. Senator, John Chafee.

McKenna, a young lawyer representing Chatham in the legislature in his first term, ran as the underdog candidate in a leadership campaign against party stalwart Ray Frenette.

An underdog candidate who would provide a challenge for an expert player to get to office.

So, he contends, as an underdog "insurgent" candidate, he need only do "well," not beat Mr. Gore outright.

In talking up Ms. Messinger's chances of winning, Senator Wellstone repeatedly referred to his own reputation as an underdog candidate who won closely contested races.

Truman's 1948 election upset for his full term as president is routinely invoked by underdog candidates.

John Harper, the underdog Republican candidate, has called the Democrat, Wallace Wilkinson, a "weasel."

For 52 years, of course, every underdog presidential candidate has compared himself to Truman, who defied expectations and won in November.