WASHINGTON -- A poll in a pivotal Democratic congressional primary in Houston shows that activist Laura Moser could be in a position to make the run-off despite recent attacks by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee DCCC).

The poll, by the Republican-aligned Congressional Leadership Fund, shows Moser with 17 percent support in the seven-way primary race in the Seventh Congressional District. She trails only Houston lawyer Lizzie Pannill Fletcher, with 28 percent.

In third place on the last day of early voting in the primary is cancer researcher Jason Westin, at 14 percent.

Alex Triantaphyllis, the top fundraiser in the Democratic field with more than $1.1 million in receipts, trails with 13 percent, virtually tied with Westin, who has raised half that amount.

Fletcher's double-digit lead over three rivals in a virtual statistical tie still leaves open the likelihood of a runoff election on May 22. If nobody reaches 50 percent of the vote, the top two vote-gettters go on to a runoff.

The others in the field, James Cargas, Joshua Butler and Ivan Sanchez each polled at about 1 percent in the survey, which was conducted Thursday. Cargas, an assistant city attorney, was the Democrats' 2016 standard-bearer. About 25 percent said they were undecided, with less than a week before next Tuesday's primary.

The real gut-check for Democrats, however, is the strength shown by Moser, who the DCCC fears is too liberal for the historically Republican district represented by nine-term GOP incumbent John Culberson.

Prior to DCCC's attack on Moser, internal CLF polling showed Moser a distant also-ran.

"Despite the DCCC's attacks, progressive champion Laura Moser is surging, proving that their party is run by progressive liberals, not the D.C. Democrats intent on making their candidates Republican-lite," said CLF leader Corry Bliss.

Democrats have not produced their own poll numbers, though their attack on Moser last week suggests that they too see her as a potential run-off contender in a GOP-held district that went to Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election.

Democrats sought to downplay the significance of the CLF poll.

"Speaker Paul Ryan's SuperPAC has picked its candidate in the Democratic primary for Texas' Seventh District. On Tuesday, Texas Democrats will choose theirs," said Meredith Kelly, DCCC Communications Director.

The automated Interactive Voice Response and phone survey of 726 likely Democratic primary voters found that 61 percent disapproved of the DCCC attacks on Moser, while 13 percent approved and 26 percent said they weren't sure.