The two incumbent Republicans among Vermont's state officeholders are facing strong challenges now that the primary results are in and the election campaign can begin in earnest.

Neither Gov. James Douglas nor his Democratic challenger, Peter Clavelle, faced opposition in the primaries, so the question of who would run was never in doubt. Clavelle, the mayor of Burlington, has devoted the summer to carving out an identity as a state leader, offering a distinct choice with ambitious plans to address issues such as health care reform.

Even so, he faces the difficult challenge of trying to unseat an incumbent who has done a creditable job in his first term. Vermont voters are generally reluctant to turn out an incumbent without evidence of serious incompetence, and even voters skeptical of Douglas' moderate, business-oriented approach to problem-solving may shrink from giving him the boot.

Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie faces a stiffer challenge in holding on to his job. Dubie, a Republican, won two years ago, despite an absence of experience in state politics, because Democrat Peter Shumlin and Progressive Anthony Polllina split the liberal vote. Dubie won with only 41 percent of the vote in 2002.

He will face former Sen. Cheryl Rivers, a Democrat with strong support from the liberal end of the spectrum. The Progressive Party also has a candidate in the race, Steve Hingtgen. But Progressives who voted for Pollina two years ago, then watched Dubie win, may be inclined to support Rivers this year. Hingtgen does not have the statewide following that Pollina did, and Rivers is a favorite among Progressive-oriented voters.

Rivers' opponents would like voters to view her as someone with a "big mouth," which is a pejorative way of describing someone who may otherwise be viewed as principled and outspoken. Women often run up against the tendency to dismiss forcefulness in politics as unladylike. Even if Rivers may rub some people the wrong way, she has won a loyal following through consistent, committed attention to important issues, particularly health care.

Dubie has been an unusual lieutenant governor, carving out a niche for himself as a promoter of Vermont business interests in Asia and Canada. His anti-abortion views make him anathema to a segment of the electorate for which the abortion question remains a key signifier of whether a candidate respects the rights of women. As lieutenant governor, Dubie's views on abortion may have little effect on events, but the issue of abortion remains a litmus test for some pro-choice voters, as it does for some abortion foes.

In the race for the U.S. Senate, Jack McMullen has finally won the chance to run against Sen. Patrick Leahy. Six years ago McMullen was the victim of a practical joke, when folk hero Fred Tuttle defeated him in the Republican primary. He faced no Tuttle this time. But now he faces Leahy, who has become another kind of folk hero, not just in Vermont but nationwide. Leahy has become a leading opponent of many of President Bush's policies having to do with the judiciary, government secrecy and the war in Iraq. Just ask Vice President Cheney. McMullen will not have an easy time persuading Vermonters that Leahy is on the wrong track.