Anybody's game?

Rep. Jeff Merkley’s candidacy carried with it an air of inevitability (as well as endorsements and the backing of Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chairman Charles Schumer) in the early stages of the race, but lately it seems like the Democratic primary just might be anybody’s game.

The recent quarterly fundraising reports showed Merkley raising almost $110,000 more than Novick but also showed that Merkley’s pace has been slowing while Novick’s pace is picking up.

Perhaps just as telling is something Lisa Grove, a Portland-based Democratic pollster, told David Druckner of Roll Call:

"I think it's a tossup," said Grove. "Understanding that Merkley is going to have more money, my sense is that he is going to have more — but not a lot more. This is just a funny place, and it's going to be a funny primary."

Although Grove is a long-time friend of Novick’s, she is also one of the most well-respected pollsters and strategists in the state.