Senate candidate Steve Novick (D), running an insurgent primary campaign against state Speaker Jeff Merkley (D), formally kicked off his fall campaign on Monday with appearances at three college campuses.

Merkley is the Democratic establishment’s pick to challenge Sen. Gordon Smith (R) in 2008. But Novick, an attorney and longtime Democratic policy adviser, was the first Democrat to enter the race and has attracted support from the net roots and other liberal activists.

Novick on Monday was scheduled to appear at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Western Oregon University in Monmouth, and Portland State University in Portland. He closed the second quarter of the year with $177,000 on hand, compared with $3.5 million for Smith.

Merkley entered the race over the summer and will file his first campaign fundraising report at the close of the third quarter.

— David M. Drucker