11.  Ethanol producers have strong political support, including presidential candidates who want to do well in the farm belt, including in the important primary state of Iowa.

12.  Forbes has pulled ahead of everyone but Sen. Robert Dole in polls in early, important states like Iowa, New Hampshire and even Delaware.

13.  Free-trade supporters have sharply criticized those moves, saying they were intended to win votes in politically important states such as Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

14.  Gore registered convincing margins of victory in California, New York, Georgia and Ohio, the most important states in the so-called Super Tuesday primary.

15.  Given that California is such an important state in presidential politics, and the election is one year away, some of those dollars could likely turn up.

16.  Gore has a far bigger political infrastructure in this important primary state than Bradley.

17.  He is collecting money, enlisting advisers, and visiting important primary states like New Hampshire.

18.  He praised an experimental program being used by Missouri, an important state in the presidential contest.

19.  Here was a reasonably popular governor of an important state, Massachusetts, who was building a reputation as one of the leading moderates in the Grand Old Party.

20.  His advisers said a huge win in such an important state would underscore his national appeal.