JEFFERSON CITY — Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft is blaming poor fundraising results for his “disappointing†third place finish in Missouri’s Republican primary race for governor.
Ashcroft, who is in his eighth year as a statewide officeholder, had been leading or tied in the polls for much of the election season, but Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe and Sen. Bill Eigel of Weldon Spring cruised past him on Tuesday, leaving his political future in doubt.
“Tuesday’s result was not what we were expecting,†Ashcroft said in a thank-you email to supporters Friday. “With polls showing us tied going into the final weekend, and the response we’ve been getting traveling to all 114 counties, we had high hopes. At the end of the day, however, it is hard to prevail when you are outspent 3-1.â€
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Unofficial results show Kehoe winning the nine-way primary to replace term-limited Gov. Mike Parson with just under 40% of the vote. Eigel, a hard-right leader of the Senate’s obstructionist Freedom Caucus, garnered about 32%, while Ashcroft received 23% of the vote.
“I am proud of the campaign we ran, focused on a positive agenda to move Missouri forward, and a commitment to conservative leadership,†Ashcroft said.
Final fundraising tallies are not available, but reports filed by the candidates and their political action committees show Kehoe received more than $11.4 million in contributions.
Eigel and his PAC reported $5.8 million, while Ashcroft and his affiliated PAC reported $4.2 million, based on reports filed with the Missouri Ethics Commission.
Kehoe now faces House Minority Leader Crystal Quade of Springfield in the November general election after she dispatched self-funding Springfield businessman Mike Hamra in the Democratic primary.
In addition to Kehoe’s money advantage, the lieutenant governor and former Jefferson City auto dealer received endorsements and supporter from influential lobbying groups, ranging from the Missouri Farm Bureau to law enforcement groups.
Ashcroft’s biggest endorsement came from Missouri Right to Life, an anti-abortion group that also backed GOP primary winners in the lieutenant governor and secretary of state races.
He also received a green light from former President Donald Trump, who issued an endorsement for all three of the major candidates running Tuesday.
Ashcroft, whose father held numerous statewide offices and was U.S. attorney general, said he does not know what he will do when his term ends in January.
“We know God has a plan and anxious to see what He has in store,†he said in the email.
But, he called on voters to unite behind Kehoe at a time when the Republican Party in Missouri is divided among MAGA-backers and more establishment conservatives.
“While the primary is over, the election is not. Republicans need to come together and focus on November and do whatever it takes to elect Mike Kehoe and to ensure his success as our next governor,†Ashcroft wrote.