NOT ALL THE winners and losers were on the ballot Nov. 5. Here are our picks:

WINNERS

Martin O'Malley: His touch wasn't all golden (he said he did "everything I could" for Kathleen Kennedy Townsend and she still lost), but the young mayor lent his shine to several friends. His television ads for congressional candidate C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger and state Senate candidate Jim Brochin, and his telephone calls for Anne Arundel County Executive Janet S. Owens, helped put them over the top. Is anybody, save for Montgomery County Executive Douglas M. Duncan, better positioned to run for statewide office in four years?

Annapolis lobbyists: Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. ran against the culture of corruption in Annapolis, a culture nourished by the cozy relationship between big-money lobbyists and lawmakers. But if anything, lobbyists gained power. After all, they're the repositories of experience, wisdom and ability to get things done in a General Assembly where 46 of 141 House of Delegate members are new. Until rookies learn the ropes -- which could take years -- those with the knowledge will wield the power.

Montgomery County commuters: Lt. Gov.-elect Michael S. Steele exaggerated only a little when he announced an end to traffic. Ehrlich positioned himself as the more credible politician to get the Intercounty Connector built, compared with a flip-flopping Glendening-Townsend administration. Duncan swept the anti-ICC folks off the County Council, so the road ahead looks smooth.

The GOP Shoppe: Was there any better barometer of Ehrlich's popularity than the many variations of Republican bumper stickers all over the road? While Townsend was printing her materials out-of-state, and trying to sell them on her Web site, the GOP Shoppe in Elkridge was churning out the most popular signs in Maryland. But they didn't work for the company's owner, Brian Harlin: He ran for Howard County Council and was defeated.

Door-knocking: The governor's race was dominated by expensive TV ads, but shoe leather made a resurgence. Brochin in Baltimore County showed that door-to-door campaigning works, and Sen.-elect E.J. Pipkin was tireless in Cecil County (although both had money for television that their opponents didn't.) Statewide, Republicans finally figured out how to mount their own get-out-the vote effort to match Democrats.

LOSERS

Bobby Baloney: State Democratic Party flack David Paulson tried hard, but his costumed crusader, who tried to show Ehrlich's proposals were all filler and no meat, had a short shelf life. On some days when "Bobby Baloney" was supposed to make an appearance, he was rained out. In the final week, Bobby came out on Main Street in Annapolis when Ehrlich was campaigning with former Gov. Marvin Mandel. Ehrlich unmasked him. The jig -- and the gig -- was up.

Alan H. Fleischmann: Townsend's intensely loyal chief of staff wept on Election Day, his visions of operating from the White House dashed. Fleischmann deserves credit for bringing Townsend to the brink of victory by helping design her signature programs, plus clearing the field of Democratic primary challengers. Townsend resisted calls from Hillary Rodham Clinton and Terry McAuliffe to dump Fleischmann last summer, so the pressure was on for him to deliver. He couldn't.

Robert Shrum:Townsend's media consultant may have forgotten one of the axioms of politics: You can't rerun the last election. His television commercials attacking Ehrlich's record would have been great four years ago. But the GOP ads from Russ Schriefer and Stuart Stevens seemed fresher and edgier. One captured the essence of this year's contest by simply displaying a photo of Townsend and Gov. Parris N. Glendening together. And another, showing a black female Baltimore police office talking to the camera about why she liked Bob Ehrlich, might have been the best spot of the campaign.

Charles R. Larson: In a forgettable footnote to a memorable career, the retired admiral abandoned the Republican Party to run with Townsend, saying she had "the right stuff" to lead and that he wouldn't serve as No. 2 to just anybody. The campaign never figured out how to capitalize on his strengths. How long before he becomes a Republican again?

Vincent DeMarco: Devoted to progressive politics, he saw his entire agenda go down the drain. Townsend signed DeMarco's "Health Care for All" pledge backing a 36-cent tobacco tax increase. Ehrlich didn't. Townsend promised tougher gun laws that DeMarco, an anti-handgun advocate, also supported. Ehrlich said he'd review the gun laws to see if some should go. DeMarco has had notable success in the past, but the next four years could be his toughest.

Keep an eye on the 101 ideas (OK, 102) now outstanding

In his TV ads during the campaign's final days, Ehrlich told voters to go to his Web site to check out his "101 Outstanding Ideas for Maryland."

Now that he's governor-elect, what can we expect from this list (which actually includes 102 ideas)?

Ehrlich promises to "encourage sporting contests between public and private high schools." He will "ensure teachers never have to spend 'out-of-pocket' for vital classroom resources." He pledges to "trim the governor's office staff" and sell the state yacht, governor's airplane and luxury boxes at Ravens Stadium and Oriole Park.

Marylanders who enjoy visits to the Eastern Shore will be pleased to learn he plans to "waive the toll at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge whenever the backup reaches 20 minutes or more." And tree-lovers should know he intends to plant 10,000 a year. A "Maryland Sports Hall of Fame" will be built at Camden Yards and the Baltimore stadium sites will be renamed "The Johnny Unitas Stadium Complex."

It's not clear how long it will take Ehrlich to complete the list. We're sure all Marylanders will be watching.