Missouri Senate no slam dunk as GOP spends to save Blunt

Polls show the race is close, but Democrats argue the momentum is with Missouri's 35-year-old secretary of state, Jason Kander, a former Army intelligence officer in Afghanistan.

Democrats' Senate campaign committee has sought to seize the moment, announcing $3.5 million in new advertising last week.

In an unpredictable political environment with Donald Trump at the top of the ticket, Republicans are trying to protect a slim 54-46 Senate majority against Democrats who are determined to retake control.

The shifting environment in Missouri comes partly because Democrats are pulling back in battleground Ohio, where incumbent GOP Sen. Rob Portman has opened a substantial lead, and in Florida, where incumbent GOP Sen. Marco Rubio is looking strong in a state where advertising is extremely expensive.

The 66-year-old has served in Congress for two decades and is a member of the Senate leadership, but he lives in Washington, D.C., where he can be seen walking his dog around his Northwest D.C. neighborhood, and has been attacked over his family's network of D.C. lobbying contacts.

[...] despite praising Kander's ad, Wicker said Republicans would show the Democrat is wrong for Missouri by highlighting his support for President Barack Obama's health care law, his F rating from the National Rifle Association and other issues.