Republican Jay Ashcroft enters race for Missouri governor
By SUMMER BALLENTINE
Associated Press
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri’s top election chief Jay Ashcroft is running for governor as a Republican. Secretary of State Ashcroft announced his campaign Thursday. GOP Gov. Mike Parson is prohibited by term limits from running again in 2024. Ashcroft has served as secretary of state since 2017. His candidacy has been widely expected. A political action committee supporting him has already raised $1.3 million. Ashcroft enters the race with considerable name recognition. His father, John Ashcroft, served as Missouri governor, a U.S. senator and U.S. attorney general under former President George W. Bush.