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ANNAPOLIS — In sports, the early playoff rounds sometimes prove more exciting than the championship series. The political equivalent is when a primary race trumps the general election.

In Maryland, the premier races in the 2010 election cycle could be intra-party contests in September, not November.

Former delegate Cheryl Kagan will hold a dessert reception on Monday to launch her campaign against Sen. Jennie M. Forehand (D-Dist. 17) of Rockville.

On the Republican side, House Minority Whip Christopher B. Shank said he is weighing whether to challenge Sen. Donald F. Munson, who has served nine terms in the House and Senate.

Shank (R-Dist. 2B) of Hagerstown accused Munson (R-Dist. 2) of Hagerstown of "straying from conservative principles for some time now" and said his votes do not reflect the views of a large part of Washington County that he represents.

District 33 Republicans face a free-for-all. The Anne Arundel County GOP last week picked County Councilman Edward R. Reilly to complete the term of retired Sen. Janet Greenip (R) of Crofton. Del. James J. King (R) of Gambrills, former delegate David G. Boschert (R) of Crownsville and term-limited Council Vice Chairwoman Cathleen M. Vitale is thought to be mulling a run. The name of former First Lady Kendel S. Ehrlich also has been floated.

Several Annapolis insiders said Prince George's County appears to be ground zero for primary election intrigue:

- Michael Herman, chief of staff to County Executive Jack B. Johnson (D) and a former mayor of Riverdale, could take on Sen. Paul G. Pinsky (D-Dist. 22) of University Park, who has established himself as one of the chamber's most liberal members.

- Bobby G. Henry Jr., a prominent attorney, may consider a rematch against Sen. Douglas J.J. Peters (D-Dist. 23) of Bowie. Henry is leading the defense fund established to help pay legal bills for Sen. Ulysses Currie, whom the FBI is investigating for his work for Shoppers Food Warehouse. Peters edged out Henry by less than 600 votes in 2006.

- Term-limited County Councilwoman Camille Exum (D-Dist. 7) of Seat Pleasant may try to follow in the footsteps of her father, Sen. Nathaniel Exum (D-Dist. 24) of Capitol Heights, if he decides to hang it up after nine terms. Del. Joanne C. Benson (D-Dist. 24) of Landover is rumored to have her eye on switching chambers, while Oxon Hill resident Curtis Valentine, who led the Obama campaign in Prince George's County, is also said to be considering a run for office.

-Del. Aisha N. Braveboy (D-Dist. 25) of Mitchellville could challenge Currie (D-Dist. 25) of District Heights.

-District 26 could be wide open if Sen. C. Anthony Muse (D) of Fort Washington jumps into the open county executive race.

-Del. Victor R. Ramirez may run against Sen. David C. Harrington (D-Dist. 47) of Cheverly, who was appointed to the seat after the death of Sen. Gwendolyn T. Britt. Ramirez (D-Dist. 47) of Mount Rainier had sought to fill Britt's seat at the time.

For all the early speculation, Pinsky, who plans to run for re-election, predicted that at least half of the rumored challenges will not materialize.

"Talk is cheap. Sometimes talk is throw it up against the wall and see what sticks," he said. "When they start making phone calls and saying, ‘Can I count on your support for X office?' then it becomes much more real."

Incumbents usually skate to re-election, but Progressive Maryland will target some Democratic office holders, though the group's executive director, Sean Dobson, declined to say which ones.

"We're going to challenge the bad apple Democrats who are carrying water for corporate special interests at the expense of working families," he said on Thursday. "These bad apples know who they are and if they think they're safe, they need to ponder two words: Al Wynn."

Wynn (D-Dist. 4) of Mitchellville, the longtime congressman from Prince George's County, was defeated by liberal activist Donna Edwards (D-Dist. 4) of Fort Washington in last year's primary election after he fell out of favor with left-leaning Democrats.

Although Prince George's may be the center of attention, it is not the only place where candidates from the same party will butt heads.

In Frederick County, Republicans Michael Hough and County Commissioner Charles A. Jenkins have already announced their bids for the open delegate seat in District 3B that Del. Richard B. Weldon Jr. (U) of Brunswick is relinquishing.

There's also talk that Commissioner John L. "Lennie" Thompson Jr. (R) might challenge Sen. David R. Brinkley (R-Dist. 4) of New Market.

Elsewhere, Sen. Andrew P. Harris' decision to seek the GOP nomination in the 1st Congressional District could trigger a competitive primary for his 7th District seat between Del. J.B. Jennings (R-Dist. 7) of Phoenix and former House Minority Leader Al Redmer, if he decides against running for Congress.

And in Baltimore, some are speculating whether former councilman and ex-Democratic mayoral candidate Keiffer J. Mitchell Jr. will challenge Sen. Verna L. Jones (D-Dist. 44).

While some say primaries can weaken the controlling party and increase the odds of losing a seat — the defeat of veteran Rep. Wayne T. Gilchrest (R) in the 1st Congressional District last year being a prime example — others contend that it allows voters to have their choice of candidates within the same party who better reflect their views.

"I've always been of the thinking that primaries can be a healthy phenomenon in that they allow partisans to air their grievances and they allow citizens to clear the air," Shank said. "They also have the tendency to clear out folks who have perhaps been in the party for too long and aren't representing party values any longer."