Even in many districts in which party luminaries were running unopposed, enough voters scratched their names off the ballot (voting, in effect, "none of the above") to prevent their election.

He hopes to beef up his fund-raising with visits from party luminaries, including, possibly, former President Bill Clinton in July.

At a recent Republican Party convention in Cleveland, party luminaries tried to talk loftily about the issues facing the party.

The new party program was adopted unanimously, Gazeta reported, even though Moscow's mayor, Yuri Luzhkov, a major party luminary, slept through most of the introductory remarks.

Most participants paid $200 apiece; for $2,000, they met party luminaries at a "millennium reception" before the dinner.

It is common practice for political parties to solicit contributions from supporters over the telephone by invoking the names of party luminaries.

The party luminaries gathered and stared in disbelief as Korolev displayed his rocket models and explained how the wingless, cigar-shaped contraptions could reach America - or Mars.

Both sides have spent heavily on campaign advertising and have been supported by visits from party luminaries from outside the state.

He has banished his handlers from the room when a reporter interviews him, and he has yet to invite any national party luminary to campaign with him in the district.

Johnathon M. Willey, executive director of the Republican Party in Indiana, said it was no feat to lure party luminaries here.