Some Maryland Democrats at the polls today said they struggled to choose between two candidates who are facing off in what some called the closest presidential nomination battle of their lifetimes.

At a precinct in Takoma Park, staff writer Steve Hendrix talked to a voter who said he and his wife had been wavering the last few days between Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York and Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois. After dismissing Obama early on as running a "substance-less campaign," lawyer Josh Whitaker said he had been swayed toward Obama recently.

"His speeches have been pretty persuasive," said Whitaker, waging a debate with himself as the line of voters moved slowly past the table of baked goods being sold by the Piney Branch P.T.A. "Lately I've been thinking more about who can beat McCain."

Emerging from the voting booth a few minutes later, Whitaker said he finally decided to cast his ballot for Clinton.
"I'm pretty much an establishment Democrat," he said. "I don't think she's going to win, but I think she'd make a fine president."

By LISA REIN and LORI ARATANI
Washington Post staff writers

Starting a full schedule of campaigning for his wife in Maryland, former President Bill Clinton asked a crowd of 500 African-Americans at a church in Prince George's County this morning to "pray and do what you think is right" in Tuesday's Democratic primary.

Their daughter Chelsea Clinton also appeared in Maryland. At the University of Maryland in College Park, a crowd of about 100 gathered in the student union to see the former first daughter emphasize her mother's fiscal responsibility and experience.