SALEM (AP)— Former U.S. Rep. Les AuCoin endorsed Steve Novick in the U.S. Senate race Monday, becoming the biggest-name Democrat to back Novick so far in his uphill battle against Democratic rival Jeff Merkley, the Oregon House speaker.

Merkley has received the most endorsements from the state’s Democratic heavyweights so far, including Gov. Ted Kulongoski and former Gov. Barbara Roberts, who are co-chairs of Merkley’s effort to unseat Republican Sen. Gordon Smith in 2008.

Still, the endorsement by AuCoin, a nine-term congressman who was narrowly defeated by then-Sen. Bob Packwood in the 1992 Senate race, is a plus for Novick, the self-described underdog in the Democratic race.

In an interview, AuCoin called Novick, a Portland attorney and activist, a “different kind of Democrat” who will mount a spirited challenge against the well-funded Smith.

“Though I admire Jeff Merkley, in this epic fight I believe Steve Novick will be the shrewder and tougher fighter against the galloping extremism that the Republicans have given us for the last eight years,” AuCoin told The Associated Press.

AuCoin, now an author living in Ashland, also said some Oregon Democrats take a dim view of the fact Merkley was recruited by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in Washington, D.C., which already has spent nearly $100,000 on Merkley’s behalf.

“Most Oregonians have this quaint idea that when it comes to choosing our U.S. senators, we want to elect them; we don’t want them appointed by someone else,” the former congressman said.

A spokesman for the Merkley campaign, Russ Kelley, declined to comment directly on AuCoin’s endorsement of Novick.

“But we’re pleased to have a pretty extensive list of people and labor groups around the state who are supporting Jeff,” Kelley said.

He also said that Merkley’s campaign was endorsed Monday by Milwaukie Mayor James Bernard and Brookings Mayor Pat Sherman, joining 10 other mayors who previously backed Merkley.

Smith’s campaign, meanwhile, ran a newspaper ad Monday trumpeting a list of Smith supporters from around the state, including some Democrats such as former U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Furse.

Political observer Jim Moore said AuCoin’s endorsement of Novick by itself isn’t a huge boost to the Novick campaign.

“It’s not going to make a big difference, unless it turns out to be the first of several high-profile Democratic endorsements for Steve Novick,” Moore said.

Moore also said that while Merkley is perceived as the frontrunner at this point, the Democratic Senate race is still up for grabs.

“Novick still has a chance, because both of these guys are pretty much unknown to most voters around the state,” said Moore, who teaches political science at Pacific University in Forest Grove.