1.   But rather than dropping, the number of petition challenges is actually up from the last citywide election.

2.   Cuomo and his campaign continue to deny having anything to do with the petition challenge.

3.   Giuliani did not specifically refer to Gov. George E. Pataki, who approved of the petition challenges, or other state Republican Party leaders.

4.   The chairman of the McCain campaign in New York, Guy Molinari, the Staten Island borough president, has warned against a petition challenge by the Bush campaign.

5.   The state board has no jurisdiction over those three districts, where local boards of elections referee petition challenges.

6.   To block the petition challenges, the Democrats could either abstain or vote no.

7.   Bush also faces some petition challenges of his own from publisher Steve Forbes in six New York City congressional districts.

8.   Bush also faces some petition challenges from publisher Steve Forbes in six New York City congressional districts.