41.   That way the union might continue backing Democratic candidates.

42.   The board is most concerned about parties paying for advertisements or mailings that back a candidate by name.

43.   The Branstad endorsement is significant because the four-term governor previously has refrained backing any candidate, saying he preferred to remain neutral.

44.   The cigarette makers are also shifting their resources from backing individual candidates to making unrestricted donations to political parties and their House and Senate re-election committees.

45.   The committee also pointedly declined to back specific candidates for the April school board elections, an idea discussed in the fall.

46.   The loophole allowed the parties to send campaign literature to their members, backing specific candidates in the nonpartisan election without disclosure prior to the primary.

47.   Their most notable clash came two years ago, when the two leaders backed competing candidates for Brooklyn surrogate.

48.   These groups raise money for polling, advertising and other political activities but do not have to disclose contributors, as long as they do not back candidates.

49.   While some Mexican Americans celebrated these victories, others, particularly young people, charged that both the Democratic and Republican parties were still refusing to back Hispanics candidates.

50.   With Wilson out of the race, Dole has almost the entire Republican establishment backing his candidates in Massachusetts.