She talks a lot about her mother, Fran, a nurse who was widowed in early middle age and was always a pillar of support for her daughter, attending campaign kickoffs and parties.

Mr. Sharpton asserted that Ms. Messinger had deliberately timed the release of her letter to distract from his formal campaign kickoff in front of Kings County Hospital.

"The big one - the actual, formal campaign kickoff - will be in April," said Jonathan Baron, the campaign's spokesman.

Gov. L. Douglas Wilder of Virginia, traveling in the Far East on state business, was the lone major candidate missing from what turned into a campaign kickoff week.

The forum served as something of a campaign kickoff for the emerging Republican theme that Mr. Clinton's fiscal policies have condemned the nation to disappointing growth in jobs and income.

Ms. Pirro's crossover appeal was readily apparent at today's campaign kickoff.

The mayor's address to the Association for a Better New York, which was billed by his aides as a "major speech on economic development," sounded at times like a campaign kickoff.

Mr. Rowland appeared at Mr. Giordano's campaign kickoff but declined to say why he thought the mayor would make a better senator than Mr. Lieberman, the governor's friend.

On November 13, Governor Hoeven made his formal announcement and campaign kickoff with stops in Fargo, Grand Forks, Bismarck and Minot.