http://electioncentral.tpmcafe.com/blog/electioncentral/2007/jul/25/gop_senator_gordon_smith_facing_new_democratic_challengerGOP Senator Gordon Smith Facing New Democratic Challenger
By Greg Sargent | bio
Uh, oh -- looks like GOP Senator Gordon Smith may be facing a new Democratic challenger: Oregon House speaker Jeff Merkley.
Smith is vulnerable to a 2008 challenge in larger part because of Iraq, though he is not a member of the GOP WINO caucus, having voted in favor of withdrawal timetables. The question now is whether his votes in favor of withdrawal will cancel out his previous support of the war and the generally dismal level of popularity the GOP brand is enjoying these days.
From the Associated Press:
SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Oregon House Speaker Jeff Merkley plans to file notice with the Federal Election Commission by Aug. 1 that he'll be running for the U.S. Senate against incumbent Republican Gordon Smith, two sources close to the campaign told The Associated Press Tuesday.
Merkley is on vacation in Central Oregon with his family this week, and wants to consult with them one last time before making the final, firm decision to challenge Smith, according to a strategist who has been advising Merkley.
"He could come back and say, 'We've decided that we are just not ready for this," the strategist said. "I strongly believe that is not going to happen."
Oregon is a Democratic-leaning state, and Merkley, a Portland Dem who led the Democratic takeover of the Oregon House last year, appears to be a top choice of national Democrats, who have been searching for a high-profile challenger to Smith for months now.
National Dems unsuccessfully tried to recruit U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio to challenge Smith, but that fell through. Merkley has been meeting with freshman Dem Senators around the country, all of whom are encouraging him to run.