After all the demurrals earlier in the season, the recent pile of interest expressions - in the Oregon Senate race - abruptly makes the field look a lot different than it was a month ago. Or is it different?
Maybe not so much. Let's run through the Democratic field of interest, in running against Republican Senator Gordon Smith, and see what emerges.
Steve Novick. The one public figure who was running a month ago and running now, with financial yardsticks of interest coming up soon. (He's raising money - passed $100,000 about a month ago. Where is he now?) [UPDATE See also the comments below, but we'll note here as well Novick's campaign announcement this morning - Monday - that he has raised upwards of $190,000; a very decent amount for this stage of the cycle. He also notes some recent campaign hires, experienced types such as new campaign manager manager Jake Weigler, who departed as Governor Ted Kulongoski's deputy communications director to take the job.] More than just "declared," he's out there campaigning - his web site lists a bunch of appearances, statements and the like. And daily increasing the catch-up space for anyone yet to jump in.
Ty Pettit. The other Democrat in the race, though barely mentioned and, his web site aside, barely visible, though he's been out there for a long time. (The few headlines on his web site all date from 2004, and mainly in support of John Kerry.) He has an interesting business background, but points to no active political work.
Novick is the only major figure to jump into the pool - Pettit's barely visible candidacy seldom draws even a mention. Here, in no particular order, are some of the others who have emerged as testers of water temperature and depth, with a few notes on prospects. (Not included: Others who've been mentioned in the past, such as Senator Ben Westlund, who either have rejected the idea or have done nothing to encourage the idea of a run in the last couple of weeks. Not that one of them might not have a change of heart, either.)