But they offer one caveat if the race narrows.

The Marist poll shows that the race has narrowed, with 37 percent of those polled supporting Mr. Pataki and 36 percent backing Mr. Cuomo.

Mr. Dole's running mate, Jack Kemp, kicking off a four-day swing through California on Friday, insisted that the race was narrowing.

At one point, polls suggested the race had narrowed to single digits.

After that call, the race narrowed to the point where Mr. Buchanan and Bob Dole were within several hundred votes.

The race widened and narrowed several more times.

Yet, he conceded: "The race has obviously narrowed, and Governor Bush has had some difficult weeks.

The race narrowed to the king and the sorcerer, who leaned over the looking lens.

It means that the mayoral race is narrowing towards eye-wateringly close percentages.

But now that the race is narrowing, people are beginning to feel Gore does have a chance.