"contending candidates" is a grammatically correct and commonly used phrase in written English.
It is typically used to refer to candidates who are competing against each other in an election or competition. Example: The two contending candidates for the presidency had a heated debate last night.
Soft money, critics contend, enables candidates to skirt legal limits on fund-raising.
Democrats are certainly hoping that will be the case and contend that candidates moving to the right in an attempt to woo Wisconsin's most conservative voters will send some moderate voters in the opposite direction.
"I don't see anything more in Kerry than I see in Bush," says Eide Alawan, a community leader in Dearborn who says he'll vote Republican.James Zogby, the director of AAI, contends that candidates need not think of Jewish or Arab votes as an either/or proposition.
If in fact this attack was carried out by Russia, as the White House is contending and candidate Trump is inviting, then it would mark the most prominent public example of the merger of political risk with cyber warfare.
A rump group of conservatives disputes the Rove-Collegio analysis of Republican Senate losses, contending that centrist candidates backed by Rove's American Crossroads fared far worse than those backed by the hard right.
What happened in Iowa yesterday, and in several other states that have addressed the issue this week, is a direct consequence of a fractious convention two weeks ago that left the party split, with each of two candidates contending to be the rightful heir to state ballot designations in November and to $12.6 million in federal campaign funds.
Speaking after the election result was declared, the principal of the university, Timothy O'Shea, said: "I am delighted that we had four such high quality candidates contending this rectorial election, and that it has generated such interest and debate on issues of real importance to students and staff.
At the time, Representative Gephardt was one of several Democratic candidates contending for the nomination that would eventually go to Senator Kerry.
Both candidates contend they can help Mr. Bush carry Pennsylvania, which he narrowly lost in 2000.
Critics of Mayor Giuliani, including the Democratic mayoral candidates, contended yesterday that the money was available to pay for the programs cut by Mr. Levy.
