Click here to watch "Pull The Plug."

With just under a month to go before voters head to the polls in the Oregon Senate Democratic primary, attorney Steve Novick refuses to let up in his effort to upset state House Speaker Jeff Merkley.

Merkley has the backing of the Democratic establishment, including Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chairman Charles Schumer, who, as Roll Call points out, has "a proven record of shepherding his preferred candidate to victory."

Hoping to capitalize on his financial advantage, Merkley has increased his TV advertising, releasing a new spot that features his wife, nurse Mary Sorteberg, praising his commitment to fix health care. Dressed in scrubs, Sorteberg describes her husband's decision to run for the Senate as "a calling." "Jeff is passionate about changing this country and fixing health care so everyday people get the care they need," she claims. She hits on the general points of Merkley's health care plan -- "tak[ing] power away from the drug and insurance lobbyists and giv[ing] it back to patients" -- while insisting that he will look to health care professionals when making policy decisions.

Novick, meanwhile, has portrayed himself as a different kind of politician in this campaign, and according to preliminary polling, his strategy may be working. He continues to release unconventional ads (subscription), knocking traditional political spots (a subtle dig at Merkley) in his most recent offering. "Pull The Plug" begins with the sort of imagery you might expect in a typical campaign commercial -- an American flag waving and a picture of the candidate hugging a supporter, while an announcer describes Novick as "tough, smart," and "tireless." But Novick then appears on screen and literally pulls the plug on the commercial. The screen goes blank as the candidate declares: "I refuse to run the same old ads as ordinary politicians."

Lisa Grove, a Democratic pollster in the state, told Roll Call that at this point the Merkley-Novick race is "a toss up." But Republican incumbent Gordon Smith continues to exceed both of his potential rivals in fundraising, portending a tough general election for whichever Democrat proves victorious on May 20.