Morning Digest: Former GOP frontrunner hopes last-second bailout will save his bid for governor

_{The Morning Digest is compiled by David Nir, Jeff Singer, and Stephen Wolf, with additional contributions from the Daily Kos Elections team.}

Subscribe to The Downballot, our weekly podcast

Leading Off

● MO-Gov: AdImpact reports that a little-known super PAC called Stand for US PAC has dropped $3.1 million on ads to help state Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft ahead of Tuesday's Republican primary for governor, an investment that the former front-runner is hoping will help him revive his fortunes when it matters most.

The secretary of state could very much use the money because recent surveys, including one released over the weekend, find Ashcroft and Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe locked in a tight battle. This poll for the political tip-sheet Missouri Scout from the GOP firm Battleground Connect shows the two statewide elected officials deadlocked 26-26, with state Sen. Bill Eigel in third with 17%. The results are almost identical to a poll conducted days earlier for the Scout by another Republican pollster, Remington Research Group.