Merrill Cook

Cook has a name, a record and a spot on the ballot. The unaffiliated candidate must persuade Republicans and independents to vote for him, rather than for Ivory or Workman. He must hammer home his Republican roots and his service as a two-term GOP congressman. Even that may not be enough. Pundits say he needs Ivory to steal votes from Corroon, and Workman to hold at about 15 percent.

Nancy Workman

Pray for an acquittal before voters go to the polls. Workman says her legal tussle will take priority over any campaigning. But victory in court could spell victory at the polls. If a jury clears her and she spends all of her war chest, she could eclipse 30 percent in a four-way race. But with felony charges dogging her and her party backing gone, observers say she has little chance. There are only 26 days left to the elections.

Peter Corroon

He can't afford to sit on his lead - double digits in the latest polls - but if Democrats stick with him and a chunk of independents do the same, he could win with 40 percent of the vote, especially if the conservative vote splinters among Cook, Workman and Ivory. But political insiders warn that Ivory's late write-in push poses a threat. Corroon is still not well-known and needs to remedy that. Still, he holds a big edge: His name is on the ballot.

Ellis Ivory

He has the cash and the connections to pull off the improbable if not impossible: a write-in victory in a major race. He plans to pour up to $400,000 into billboards, media ads and mailers to every registered voter. Observers say he will need a defense for the ''developer'' tag already haunting him. And he must enlist an army of volunteers. The goal: Get a sticker with his name on it in the hand of every potential supporter and ensure they know how to use it. In four-way race, a viable write-in might just write history.