John Ashcroft was a two-term governor, a senator and U.S. attorney general under President George W. Bush. Now, his 41-year-old son, Jay, is seeking the Republican nomination for a state Senate seat out of St. Louis County in a three-way race on Aug. 5.

It won’t be easy. Even if Ashcroft wins the primary, the district leans Democratic and state Rep. Jill Schupp, a Creve Coeur Democrat, promises a well-funded race in November.

Ashcroft told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (http://bit.ly/1qzDwBJ) that some supporters urged him to move to a more Republican district, but he wanted to stay.

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Information from: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, http://www.stltoday.com