11.  Bradley is not mounting as serious a challenge to Gore in Iowa, the other early state.

12.  But his remarks also seemed designed to head off any stampede of party officials to Bradley, who has shown unexpected strength against Gore in early primary states.

13.  But the interaction among these would-be presidents was a telling illustration of the early state of the Republican competition.

14.  But winning commitments, especially in Iowa and New Hampshire, the early primary states, means spending time.

15.  Depending on how many candidates are in the race, that could be the magic number for victory in the early states of Iowa or New Hampshire.

16.  Early states allowed only the propertied few to vote.

17.  Dole attended an event at a Paradise Valley home hosted by former Attorney General Grant Woods and designed to raise her profile in an important early primary state.

18.  Forbes plans an advertising campaign in key early states of Iowa and New Hampshire, with an emphasis on being in the Granite State as often as possible.

19.  He has been careful to mend relations with influential Democrats in Iowa and New Hampshire, two early states in the delegate-selection process.