The race between Mayor Adrian Fenty and Council Chairman Vincent Gray has been a pig. "More! More! More!" it squeals, and political journalists comply, showering it with breathless, 24/7 coverage.

But guess what, people. There are other great races that are being decided today. They haven't received the attention they deserve, but they are worth keeping an eye on as the votes get counted tonight.

Prince George's County Executive

This race to succeed Jack Johnson as county executive in Prince George's county should be vying with the D.C. mayor's race for media coverage. After all, Prince George's has half-again as many people as D.C., but for whatever reason(s), it hasn't worked out that way.

If there was a favorite going in, it was probably Sheriff Michael Jackson. In a multi-candidate field, Jackson was the only one to have run successfully county-wide in both 2002 and 2006.

In addition, he's had the backing of the county teachers' union, Johnson aides, and recently won the endorsement of Johnson himself.

But well-publicized controversies involving Jackson's office, and his sometimes inelegant responses to them, gave three-time candidate Rushern Baker an opening, and the former chairman of the county's House delegation exploited it, catapulting to the front of what is widely regarded to be a two-man race.

Despite criticism of the large contributions he's taken from a prominent developer, David Hillman, Baker positioned himself as a reformer, pledging to end the perception of Prince George's as a county where "pay to play" is the norm for politicians and the business-people looking to do deals with them.

Baker has been endorsed repeatedly by the Washington Post. State's Attorney Glenn Ivey (who once considered running himself) is on board, as are former executives Wayne Curry, Parris Glendening, and Winfield Kelly. A majority of the county's powerful state senators are with him as well, important assets in a community where slates and "official" sample ballots are crucial campaign roadmaps.

While opponents have criticized his role in the dismantling of the county's elected school board a decade ago, his fundraising and his stewardship of an educational non-profit, Baker's rejoinders have a crispness that was absent from his 2002 bid.

Councilman Will Campos's recent decision to switch his endorsement from Jackson to Baker seemed to cement a perception among political operatives that the Sheriff has lost momentum, perhaps to the benefit of Councilman Sam Dean. Dean presented himself as the only candidate who'd be "ready on Day One," but his campaign never gained real traction.

Del. Gerron Levi and civic activist Henry Turner round out the 5-person field.

Montgomery County Council District 2

Two-term incumbent Mike Knapp's decision not to seek re-election prompted five Democrats to launch bids for this seat. It's a quality field, making this perhaps the most interesting of the council races being decided today.

Former planning board chairman Royce Hanson, whose public service career dates back to 1972, and state Delegate Craig Rice, 37, are considered the front-runners in a contest that includes longtime civic activist and consultant Sharon Dooley; Eddie Kuhlman, president of the Poolesville town Commission; and IT specialist Charles Kirchman.

At a recent forum on Access Montgomery, the candidates discussed their views on transportation (particularly the impact the opening of the first phase of the InterCounty Connector will have on local roads), Montgomery's agricultural reserve, and how to unify the sprawling district, which includes sparsely populated communities west of I-270 and bustling, relatively dense areas like Olney.

Hanson touted his deep knowledge of county government and development issues; Rice stressed his knowledge of Annapolis and his ability to build consensus; Dooley highlighted her long ties to the civic community; and Kuhlman and Kirchman said Montgomery leaders need to pare the budget of nice-to-have-but-no-longer-affordable spending items.

The county's powerful teachers union endorsed Rice. The Washington Post recommends Hanson. The Gazette likes Dooley.

Maryland Senate — District 17

There are nearly a dozen races in Montgomery and Prince George's in which a Democratic state senator is being challenged in the primary by a current or former delegate. These races tend to be intensely personal skirmishes, with more than the usual he-said/she-said, sign stealing, hurt feelings, ancient grudges, raw political ambition and restlessness, and sometimes downright bizarreness. The race for Senate in the 17th isn't the most contentious, but we have to start somewhere.

In the race to represent Rockville and Gaithersburg in Annapolis, Sen. Jennie Forehand is being challenged by former delegate Cheryl Kagan. Kagan's been running a non-profit since leaving the Assembly (voluntarily) eight years ago. Forehand was first elected the same year Harry Hughes (D) defeated J. Glenn Beall (R) for governor, which is a smarty-pants way of saying a Long Time Ago.

Although she's one of the Senate's longest-serving members, Forehand has never risen to a position of leadership, a main talking point for Kagan. Forehand's reply: I'm a workhorse, not a show-horse. (And besides, she tells associates in her Southern-sweet drawl, "Nobody in Annapolis likes Cheryl Kagan.")

In a TBD debate, Kagan said it's time for change. She touted her endorsements from the B-CC Chamber, Maryland NARAL (an abortion rights group) and the Sierra Club. Forehand noted that labor groups -- including MCEA -- are in her corner. A few days later, the Post endorsed the "hard-charging" Kagan, noting that Forehand is "a beloved figure" in Annapolis but "not really an influential one."

In the closing days of the campaign Kagan offered to drive a photocopier to a place of Forehand's choosing in the hopes of getting the incumbent to disclose "hidden" contributors to her campaign. (Hope she brings a long extension cord.)

Maryland Senate — District 39

Okay, this race is Nasty-town. Incumbent state Sen. Nancy King, seeking her second term from this Montgomery Village-based district, is desperately trying to fend of a challenge from Del. Saqib Ali.

King is touting her position on the influential Senate Budget & Taxation Committee, which, she claimed in a TBD debate, Montgomery County will lose if she is ousted. She has sent out campaign lit accusing her opponent of taking "special interest PAC and corporate money."

Ali claims to be the true progressive in the race, noting King's ambivalence on gay marriage, which he says is a civil rights issue, and he accuses her of being too close to alcohol and gambling interests. He said a mailer she sent out showing him asleep on a sofa in the House of Delegates lounge is a cheap shot, noting that many lawmakers will catch a few z's when sessions run late into the night.

This contest, which feels like a mother-son relationship gone bad, has attracted the attention of the national media thanks to Ali's charge that King sent out a mailer with a photo that makes him appear to be darker-skinned than he really is, a charge the incumbent denies. (Ali is of Pakistani and Indian heritage.)

Maryland Senate — District 24

This race pits long-serving incumbent Nat Exum against Del. Joanne Benson. Exum's had more than his share of scrapes over the years, but a Senate colleague who knows both candidates well says Exum remains a hero to his Capitol Heights-based district. Benson steered clear of broadside attack in a live TV debate, arguing instead -- to the surprise of the host! -- that the issues facing the county (health care, education, jobs and domestic violence, as she sees it) require "the voice of a woman at the table." (All eight of Prince George's County's state senators are male.)

The employees union SEIU has gone after Exum with a vengeance, sending out seven - at last count - mailings criticizing his voting record.

Amazingly, says Maryland Politics Watch, Exum has enlisted the help of former state senator Tommy Broadwater, who served time for food stamps fraud, to vouch for him.

Two More Races to Watch:

Can't get enough? OK:

Prince George's County State's Attorney

Prosecutor Glenn Ivey decided not to seek re-election last year, sparking a bit of a scramble to replace him. Former prosecutor Angela Alsobrooks would appear to be in the driver's seat. She's been endorsed by Ivey, the Post, the Gazette and has Johnson's support (he appointed her to chair the county's Revenue Authority). The field also includes Councilman Tom Dernoga, former ASA's Peggy Magee and Mark Spencer, and current prosecutor Joseph Wright. A poll done in July for one of the executive candidates showed Alsobrooks in front.

Montgomery County Council At-Large

Ten Democrats — four of them incumbents -- are batting for the nomination of their party, which like every contest in the county (and Prince George's) this year will determine the ultimate outcome. The difficult budget climate, which critics say was made worse by overly-generous union contracts, made incumbents a target for the challengers. But the large field made candidate forums unwieldy.

Washington Post endorsements went to incumbents Marc Elrich, Nancy Floreen and Duchy Trachtenberg and challenger Hans Riemer. The teachers union went with incumbents Elrich and George Leventhal and challengers Riemer and Becky Wagner. Rounding out the field are: economist Jane de Winter, educator Fred Evans, Donald Coffey and Raj Narayanan.