Whilst the first primary election in New Hampshire is still 4 months away, the contest for the 2000 American Presidential election is taking shape.
Republican candidate, Elizabeth Dole, wife of the 1996 Republican nominee, Senator Bob Dole, quit the race last week, further winnowing the conservative field.
Dole’s withdrawal follows the departure of Lamar Alexander, John Kasich and former Vice-President Dan Quayle. Texas Governor George W. Bush remains the Republican frontrunner, having raised close to $100 million in campaign funds since the beginning of this year.
Bush’s candidacy is threatened only by Arizona Senator John McCain and the publishing magnate Steve Forbes.
On the Democratic side, a two-man contest between incumbent vice-president Al Gore and former New Jersey Senator Bill Bradley will possibly hold the most interest in the coming months.