An internal poll for former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens (R) shows him leading the GOP Senate field with 26%, followed by Vicky Hartzler (R) at 19%, Eric Schmitt (R) at 14%, Billy Long (R) at 7% and Mark McCloskey (R) at 5%.

“Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R) is surging toward the front of the pack in Missouri’s GOP Senate primary, reordering a crowded race that’s long been marked by former Gov. Eric Greitens’ (R) lead in the polls,” Politico reports.

“For the first time since he entered the primary a year ago, Greitens’ grip on the Republican base has lifted — a slide in support in recent weeks attributed to new allegations of domestic violence raised by Greitens’ ex-wife.”

St. Louis beer heiress Trudy Busch Valentine (D) joined the heated race for Missouri’s U.S. Senate seat Monday, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

The move triggered former state Sen. Scott Sifton (D) to exit the Democratic primary race and throw his support to Valentine.

If Republicans nominate former Gov. Eric Greitens (R), this could be a competitive race.

Former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens (R) said his ex-wife’s allegations of domestic abuse on Monday were false, and insisted “truth will always prevail,” The Hill reports.

Greitens said in a statement that he will seek full custody of his sons, and that he will “pray for their mother and hope that she gets the help that she needs.”

He added: “I will continue to love and care for my beautiful sons with all of being, and that includes fighting for the truth and against completely fabricated, baseless allegations.”

Former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens (R), now a leading Republican Senate candidate, was physically abusive and demonstrated such “unstable and coercive behavior” that steps were taken to limit his access to firearms, according to new allegations from his ex-wife revealed in court records on Monday, the AP reports.

Missouri Senate candidate Eric Greitens (R) is rising in former President Donald Trump’s eyes, Politico reports.

“Greitens has staunchly aligned himself with the former president, become a favorite of the pro-Trump media universe, and distinguished himself as one of the few Republican Senate candidates willing to speak out against McConnell. Now, Trump, who in the past has privately criticized the former governor over the scandal that led to his downfall, is telling people he’s open to endorsing Greitens — despite fears among other powerful Republicans that the Missouri Republican is the only GOP candidate who could potentially lose the seat in November.”

Playbook: “For months, many Republican operatives across the political spectrum — from MAGA world and the RNC to the NRSC and Team Mitch — have privately whispered agreement on one thing when it comes to Missouri’s crowded Senate GOP primary: They’d welcome any nominee except Eric Greitens.”

“The disgraced former governor of the Show-Me State resigned in 2018 after a woman testified under oath that Greitens tied her up in his basement, stripped her naked and took photos of her to use as blackmail in their extramarital affair — before forcing her to have oral sex with him. Greitens maintains that the exchange was consensual.”

“Despite that history — and despite a number of other prominent Republicans in the race — Greitens leads the pack in Missouri’s GOP primary. Party operatives know that if they want to stop him, they need to clear the field so that the anti-Greitens vote isn’t fragmented. But they’re at a loss over how to do that. None of the prominent candidates shows any sign of dropping out anytime soon.”

“Newly released polling in Missouri bolsters an argument Senate Republican leadership has made for months: Former Gov. Eric Greitens (R) could be an unusually weak red-state nominee,” Politico reports.

“Greitens, who resigned mid-term in 2018, has led the crowded Republican field in early polling for the state’s open Senate seat. But according to a recent survey… Greitens would have just a slim lead over Democrat Lucas Kunce if the general election were held today.”

Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-MO) scored a major victory in her quest for Missouri’s open Senate seat, winning the endorsement of Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) in the crowded GOP primary, the Missouri Independent reports.

“Former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens is banking on Republican voters forgiving his past indiscretions when they choose a U.S. Senate nominee next August. Many in the GOP establishment are hoping they don’t forget,” the AP reports.

“Senate Republican leadership concurs that a Greitens primary victory would hand the seat to Democrats. But so far they’ve taken a hands-off approach, convinced Greitens’ campaign will implode as he struggles to raise money and continues to be dogged by the scandal.”

Former President Donald Trump was interviewed by Hugh Hewitt on his radio show:

TRUMP: So we have some big endorsements coming.

HEWITT: Please don’t, please don’t endorse Eric Greitens. That’s a nightmare, Mr. President. We’ll lose that seat. But that’s Hugh Hewitt’s opinion, not yours.

TRUMP: Well, that’s an interesting opinion, that’s true. He’s right now leading by quite a bit.

HEWITT: I know, but he will lose the seat. We will lose the seat.

TRUMP: I understand that. Okay, some people feel that.

Politico: “Greitens is a formidable presence in the race, armed with a solid base, right-wing media savvy and a billionaire backer. But the scandal-plagued Greitens is also viewed by many Republicans — both nationally and in Missouri — as the candidate most likely to jeopardize a GOP-held Senate seat. With the Senate majority in sight in next year’s midterm elections, the prospect of blowing the opportunity weighs heavily on party minds.”

“Pointing to Greitens’ baggage — he resigned the governorship in 2018, midway through his first term, following allegations that he sexually assaulted a woman — many Missouri Republicans view him as an opportunist who has shamelessly recast himself as a MAGA warrior to revive his political career.”

“Missouri’s legal ethics watchdog has asked the state Supreme Court to suspend U.S. Senate candidate Mark McCloskey’s (R) law license for six months after pleading guilty to misdemeanor assault in a widely publicized gun-waving incident during a police brutality protest last summer,” the Kansas City Star reports.

Former Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon (D) announced he won’t run for U.S. Senate in Missouri.

The decision could deprive Democrats of a high profile candidate in a race that could be competitive if former Gov. Eric Greitens (R) is the Republican nominee.

Washington Post: “Few candidates have done more in recent months to court Trump, or to compare his own controversy to the scandals that enveloped the former president. Yet in a state that Trump won by 15 points in 2020, the Greitens campaign has tested the question of just how far the former president and Republican voters are willing to go to overlook past misdeeds.”

“Several Republican strategists say they worry that the lurid scandals that brought down Greitens would create an opening for a Democrats if he is the nominee, especially if former governor Jay Nixon (D) decides to run. More likely, they say, Greitens would just increase the costs for Republicans to win the state, diverting resources from other contests.”

Missouri Independent: “Those close to Nixon say he doesn’t want to jump into the race unless he sees a path to victory.”

“And while Nixon may seem appealing to party leaders who hope he can win back rural Democrats who voted for Trump in 2016 and 2020, that formula has failed in other states.”

“Former Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen, former Montana Gov. Steve Bullock and former Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland each ran for Senate as elder statesmen who could appeal to white, working-class voters who had become reliable Republicans.”