Ashcroft, facing a daunting and highly unusual challenge in his bid for re-election, began a statewide blitz as the campaign entered its final week. Mel Carnahan's name remains before voters because he died after a deadline for revising Missouri's ballot. Before his death, the Senate race was anything but gentlemanly. Missouri's two best-known politicians clashed about abortion, gun control, taxes, crime fighting, appointments to the U.S. Supreme Court and the governor's controversial commutation of a death sentence at the pope's behest. Ashcroft suspended all campaigning for eight days after Carnahan's death and conceded Monday that the timeout hurt his campaign with one week remaining before votes are cast.
Polls bear that out.
For months, Carnahan and Ashcroft had been in a statistical tie. But Carnahan in death has gained a slight edge when poll participants are told of the plan to appoint his widow. A Zogby International poll released Tuesday showed Carnahan leading Ashcroft, 49.4 percent to 43.2 percent. The poll has a margin of error of 4 percentage points. Ashcroft said of his decision to temporarily withhold advertising and suspend campaign appearances.