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Oregon Senate candidate Jeff Merkley (D) received an unpleasant surprise this week: A SurveyUSA poll showed he was trailing Portland lawyer Steve Novick and statistically tied with long-shot candidate Candy Neville, despite having the support of the state's Democratic establishment. The message? Novick's unconventional ads (subscription), which began running in January, seem to be making an impression with voters.

Merkley hopes his TV ad debut (subscription) will help him gain ground among Oregon Democrats. "People have not focused on this campaign yet," spokesman Matt Canter told the Portland Oregonian this week, adding that the ad campaign will introduce voters to Merkley.

The spot presents Merkley, the state House Speaker, as a strong, progressive leader. "Tired of his party's inaction, Jeff Merkley led Democrats back to power," an announcer proclaims, listing some of his accomplishments. The ad highlights Merkley's pro-choice stance and his opposition to the war in Iraq. And it ties him to this year's ever-popular change theme, with text on screen reading: "Change. It's coming."

The campaign is spending $88,000 on the ad, which is running in the Eugene and Portland markets. The Oregonian's Jeff Mapes reports that Novick has purchased $70,000 worth of airtime for next week, indicating that the primary contest may just be heating up.