The state Democratic Party will officially pick sides in an intra-party fight later this morning when it endorses Kyle Taylor Lucas over incumbent Sen. Tim Sheldon in the 35th District.

The party has never much liked Sheldon. The feeling is mutual. "I'm the infidel and won't do what they say, and they just can't stand it," Sheldon said earlier this summer.

This morning party chairman Dwight Pelz and Democratic leaders from the four counties in Sheldon's district will appear at Thurston County Democratic headquarters to endorse Lucas, former head of the Governor's Office of Indian Affairs.

Sheldon has raised about $142,000, compared to Lucas' $29,000.

UPDATE: Lucas' money numbers got a boost with $15,000 from the Thurston County Democratic Party. This from the Dems' press release from this morning's event:

"Tim Sheldon is the Joe Lieberman of Washington State politics," said Dwight Pelz, Chair of the Washington State Democratic Party. "He would kiss George Bush if he could," said Pelz, citing Sheldon's role as the leader of "Democrats for Bush" in the 2004 election.