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 done for a private third-party and obtained by POLITICO, Greitens would have just a slim lead over Democrat Lucas Kunce if the general election were held today…

Greitens’ 4-point lead in the hypothetical matchup, just outside the poll’s margin of error, is a sign that the former governor’s baggage could turn off conservative and independent voters in a state that former President Donald Trump won by 16 percentage points in 2020.

Top Republicans have cautioned that if Greitens emerges as the Senate nominee, it could cost the party an otherwise safe Senate seat.