THE BIG QUESTION in tomorrow's election is whether Democrats capture the Senate, the House, or both. But there are other contests and issues at stake that have gotten little press attention but are nonetheless important (or at least interesting). Some of these are actually eye-catching or may have implications for future elections. Here are 10 of these significant but not quite media-centric matters:

(1) If all goes well for Luther Strange tomorrow, he will wipe out a good chunk of Alabama's political heritage. He's the Republican candidate for lieutenant governor of the state. A Birmingham lawyer who'd never sought political office before, Strange knocked off George Wallace Jr. in the Republican primary. And he now faces Democrat Jim Folsom Jr., the son of former Gov. "Big" Jim Folsom--and governor himself from 1993 to 1995. In a Birmingham News poll taken last week, Strange led 50 percent to 39 percent. His advisers think Strange may also benefit from the coattails of Republican Gov. Bob Riley, who led his Democratic foe, Lucy Baxley, 59 percent to 31 percent, in the newspaper poll.

(2) Democrats are poised to win the top statewide races in New York in a landslide. So the question becomes: who gets the biggest percentage of the vote, Senator Hillary Clinton or gubernatorial candidate Eliot Spitzer? The standard of excellence was set by Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer, who pulled 71 percent of the vote in winning reelection in 2004. Both Clinton and Spitzer have weak Republican opponents and may top 70 percent, though

(3) Michael Steele, Maryland's Republican lieutenant governor, has run a strong and clever race against Democrat Ben Cardin to replace retiring Democratic Senator Paul Sarbanes. Maryland is normally a blue state, but Steele, who is black, is trying to cut into the state's large black (and overwhelmingly Democratic) community. He trails Cardin, a respected but dreary congressman, by a few percentage points. Steele's ability to attract black voters, while holding on to Republican voters, matters a lot. Conservative political strategists regard his campaign as the best of this election cycle.

(4) Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California is running so far ahead of his Democratic challenger, Phil Angelides, that his seemingly insurmountable lead may depress election day turnout by discouraged Democrats. This sets up a political test for Schwarzenegger: does he have coattails? Great politicians manage to carry others to victory when they win big. And Republicans are a distinct minority in the California legislature who need all the help they can get to increase their numbers. Will Arnold do some heavy lifting and elect more Republican legislators in an environment that's more conducive to Republican success than usual? We'll find out tomorrow.