In the contentious and sometimes ugly runup to the June 5 primary, the mudslinging up until now has been between GOP candidates Scott Wilk and Patricia McKeon. But two recent developments suggest that the third Republican candidate -- Paul Strickland, who hasn't raised one-tenth the money of the other two -- is very much in the picture.

Exhibit A is a video that was brought to my attention by the anonymous "38thassemblyracewatcher," the same party that alerted me to the controversial website attacking McKeon months ago. The "watcher" sent an email last week with this link to a YouTube video . This time it's Strickland, not McKeon, who is being lampooned.

Exhibit B is a mailer sent by Wilk in which he contrasts himself not just with "Patricia (not Buck) McKeon" but also with "Paul (not Tony) Strickland."

This clearly indicates that Strickland, largely by virtue of sharing the same last name (but no family relation) with Sen. Tony Strickland, continues to poll well in that Assembly race.