GOP split on alternative to Greitens in Missouri Senate race

By JIM SALTER
Associated Press

ST. LOUIS (AP) — For all their angst about the possibility of former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens winning the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in the state, GOP leaders haven’t coalesced behind an alternative. Greitens resigned in 2018 while facing multiple investigations, including one into whether he blackmailed a woman during an extramarital affair. Yet the former Navy SEAL officer maintains a base of GOP support, has solid fundraising numbers and remains a threat to win a multi-candidate primary. That worries Republican leaders, who fear Greitens would be a weak candidate in the general election and lose to the Democratic nominee, costing Republicans a seat and potentially control of the Senate.