And in recent prominent contests involving Barnes & Noble and Dynegy, I.S.S. clients went against the service's recommendations.
A big question hanging over the European Union this year is how much Mr. Putin will try to influence critical elections in France, Germany and the Netherlands — as well as in less prominent contests like November's vote to replace a Czech Parliament that has remained firmly pro-Western despite its president's friendliness toward Mr. Putin.
These less prominent contests stand out for the insights they might offer.
In 2007 he was followed by an unknown 23-year old Chinese bass-baritone from Tianjin with the stage name of Shenyang, who won the world's most prominent singing contest — the Cardiff Singer of the World competition.
Like other states, New York, New Jersey and Connecticut have several prominent sand-sculpture contests that are open to amateurs.
Sharon Groves, the director of the religion and faith program of the Human Rights Campaign, said her organization had been reaching out to sympathetic clergy members throughout the state, urging them to become more prominent in this year's contest in Albany.
Anything can happen, but many mainstream Republicans fear that with four credible Republican candidates in the race, it is possible that enough conservatives could withhold their support from Mr. Schwarzenegger to throw the election to Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante, the only prominent Democrat in the contest, if Mr. Davis is recalled.
The context is the perception and the reality that an alliance, one some term "unholy" (because religious voices are so prominent), works systematically to contest "progressive" approaches to sexual rights and reproductive health.
Since the U.S. Supreme Court's controversial Citizens United decision in 2010, nonprofits such as the American Future Fund have played a more prominent role in electoral contests -- all while giving their supporters the ability to keep their identities hidden.
Now, two years later, after a sweep of political reforms that included an easing of media censorship and the release from prison of dozens of prominent dissidents, the N.L.D. is contesting all available constituencies.
Citing voting irregularities in Illinois and Texas, many observers questioned whether Kennedy had legally won those states, and some prominent Republicans including Eisenhower even urged Nixon to contest the results.
