This week's near-simultaneous retirement announcements by Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd, North Dakota Sen. Byron Dorgan and Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter, along with Michigan Lt. Gov. John Cherry's abrupt withdrawal from the 2010 governor's race, delivered a sharp reminder that the landscape for this year's elections is far from fully settled.

Democrats were suddenly left with recruiting challenges that could quickly reshape the 2010 cycle. In Connecticut, Colorado and Michigan, it’s possible that the party could end up with even stronger nominees. In North Dakota, however, it’s possible that Dorgan’s retirement will result in the GOP snatching the seat away.

But for all the reset expectations and altered narratives that resulted from the dizzying events of the past 48 hours, these are only the first set of curveballs both parties may have to contend with this year. Here are a dozen of the top still-unresolved questions about the 2010 field:

Will Kirsten Gillibrand get off easy?

Gillibrand still hasn't closed the deal with skeptical New Yorkers, a year after taking office as senator. Strong candidates, including Rudy Giuliani, have passed on challenging her, but polling has shown Gillibrand vulnerable even to lesser opponents like former New York City Comptroller Bill Thompson, who weighed a primary challenge.

Possible rivals still on the radar are Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.), whose interest level seems to change daily, and the less-likely former Gov. George Pataki.

Is Oscar Goodman feeling lucky?

Nevada's gubernatorial race is already shaping up as a high-speed collision, with former state Attorney General Brian Sandoval emerging as the leading Republican contender to take on Clark County Commissioner Rory Reid, whose dad is the Senate majority leader.

If incumbent Gov. Jim Gibbons — a Republican with disastrously low public approval — decides to forgo a bloody primary battle with Sandoval, the GOP would have a strong chance of retaining the seat.

Circling the race — as polling shows him a viable third-party contender — is colorful Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman. Nevada pundit Jon Ralston predicted Wednesday that Goodman won't pull the trigger, but the mayor hasn't made up his mind yet. Goodman and Gibbons's next roll of the dice could largely determine the course of this contest.

Will KBH touch off a special?

When Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) announced she would resign her seat to challenge Texas Gov. Rick Perry in the 2010 GOP primary, a crew of ambitious pols started scrambling for advantage in an anticipation of a special election to replace her.

Then, Hutchison announced in November she wouldn't resign after all, at least not until after the March gubernatorial primary. While Hutchison insists she'll resign regardless of the primary's outcome, other Republicans are skeptical — and impatient.

Does David Vitter get primaried?

The Louisiana Republican has been a prime target for an intraparty challenge since his 2007 prostitution scandal, but nearly all of his state's biggest players have ruled out a primary. The exception: Secretary of State Jay Dardenne, who said he was considering a bid last month.

The statewide official could be a daunting opponent for Vitter — and might make Rep. Charlie Melancon's (D-La.) general election campaign a longer shot by taking personal scandal out of the picture.

Does Dianne Feinstein go home?

The chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee been toying for years with the idea of heading home to run for governor, and she hasn't nixed the idea of a 2010 race yet.

It would be a surprise if the 76-year-old Feinstein gave up her seniority to run against state Attorney General Jerry Brown in a gubernatorial primary. But she's one of the most popular politicians in the beleaguered state, with steamroller potential as a candidate.