Local candidates say their biggest challenge inCambridge is not the city's Democratic dominance,but the media's lack of coverage.

"The media has been ignoring the campaigncompletely since the Democratic [primary]. It'sbeen pretty sad-they've written the whole raceoff," Schinella says, with a note of anger in hisvoice.

"And if I can't get my message out to themedia, no one's going to hear it," he adds.

"My name did not get mentioned once by eitherof the two major dailies in Boston for ten weeks,"Hyde charges. "We're talking serious laziness andincompetency on the part of the news media."

Cook is similarly dissatisfied with coverage ofhis campaign.

"It's difficult. I mean, we weren't allowedinto the debates even though I am on the ballot,"he says.

Even with the lack of coverage, the candidateshope the centrist tendencies of Massachusetts'Democratic and Republican frontrunners will helptheir races.

"Most people think it would be very difficultto run a liberal campaign in Massachusetts. Theybelieve it to be such a Democratic state, which issort of inaccurate," Cook says.

"Here, because the Republicans and Democratshave merged together so much, it becomesdifficult. [The voters] are just getting lipservice, so...the Libertarian party has a lot offertile ground to grow here."

"It is very much an uphill battle for anyonewho is not a Democratic; it's probably one of themost Democratic districts in the country," saysDavid L. K. Trumbull, chair of the CambridgeRepublican City Committee.

"Nevertheless, you have people deciding thatthey're not completely thrilled with the minoritychoice [Capuano] among Democrats, and they maysupport the Republican or perhaps even somethird-party candidate," he says, referring toCapuano's narrow victory over the nine otherDemocrats in the primary.

But the publicity situation is improving forthird-party candidates.

"We want more name recognition-but compared tofour years ago, this is like night and day," Cooksays, who also campaigned for the corner office in1994.

"My message has gotten out this year more thantwo years ago because there have been so manyforums and debates," agrees Hyde, whounsuccessfully ran against Rep. Joseph P. KennedyII (D-Brighton) in 1996.

And in the end, candidates say that althoughtheir chances of winning are slim, the race hasbeen worth it.