Richard Tisei, an openly gay Republican candidate for Congress in Massachusetts, now has an even shot at beating his opponent,  incumbent Democratic Rep. John Tierney, according to a new rating of the race by the paper Roll Call.  The paper recently reclassified the race from “Likely Democratic” to “Toss-up” in its ratings of House races around the country.

“Richard is well-known and liked throughout the district.  [He's] spent years defying the odds by being elected by Independents, Republicans, and Democrats. He’s honest and a known problem-solver who cares about people and the future of the country,”  said Tisei Campaign Manager Paul Moore.

Tisei has also consistently beaten Tierney in fundraising over the past few quarters, a sign that the GOP thinks the seat could flip.  ”In my wildest dreams, I wouldn’t have imagined that so many people would be supporting our message of change with their pocketbooks — particularly in these very tough economic times,” Tisei told the Washington Blade.

Tisei is one of 8 federal candidates endorsed by the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund in 2012.