Michael Montandon

In Nevada, the biggest race in 2010 begins on Nov. 4, 2008.

That's when three of the GOP's top prospects for derailing U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Searchlight) - U.S. Reps. Jon Porter (R-Henderson), Dean Heller (R-Carson City) and state Sen. Joe Heck (R-Henderson) - are up for re-election. Reid is something of a political behemoth and even in a moderate-to marginally conservative state will be difficult to knock off, analysts say, and strategists from both parties agree that these potential Reid challengers would be greatly assisted by victories.

"There's always an advantage to being an incumbent when you're running for something else," said Ryan Erwin, a Nevada-based GOP consultant. Maintaining an incumbency status provides the institutional stature needed to knock off an incumbent as powerful and politically savvy as Reid, Erwin explained.

With GOP presidential candidates largely ignoring the Nevada presidential caucus on Saturday -- Ron Paul is the only Republican scheduled to be in the state this week -- the contest may offer some evidence as to the value of endorsements in a race that may be wide open. Here's a list of our GOP stakeholders, along with their percentage in the Reno Gazette-Journal poll - which suggests the possibility of a four-way contest on the Republican side: