MADISON, Wis. – Embattled Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and his allies tried to change the conversation of his re-election campaign on Monday, as bad news continues to pile up for the two-term Republican incumbent.

The Republican Governors Association launched a new attack against the Democratic opponent, Tony Evers, while Walker opened a new front in the campaign by tweeting that Evers, the state schools chief, has not done enough to close the achievement gap.

Walker is on the ballot for the first time since his short-lived presidential run ended in September 2015. Seeing a rising star in the Republican Party after he defeated a recall election in 2012, a win that fueled his presidential bid, Walker now finds himself in the political fight of his life.

Walker and Evers, a low-key career educator, has been reported in the United States to be a dead heat in Wisconsin, which is closely divided between Republicans and Democrats. But in a bad sign for Walker, the polls have been critical to his career.

Democrats see the midterm election, which comes after a string of Democratic election victories in the state and has polls show high enthusiasm on the left, and their best chance ever to take out Walker.

There was a cascade of bad news for Walker over the weekend.

A third former Walker Cabinet secretary spoke out against the governor, saying Walker is not telling the truth about road projects. There were also reports on the position of the accused in the state of the juvenile prison and increased scrutiny of Walker's use of the plane.

On Monday, the Republican Governors Association tried to come to the rescue, launching its first ad $ 5.7 million TV buy for the final two months of the race. The ad hits a familiar theme for a Walker and his allies

The Democratic Governors Association plans to spend $ 3.8 million on TV ads before Election Day. But Evers and his Democratic allies concede that they will be outspent by Walker and his better supporters. Walker and the state Republican Party had $ 8.6 million cash on hand in July.

Also on Monday, Walker tweeted that Evers has not done enough to close the gap between white and non-white students. Wisconsin's achievement gap has historically been one of the worst in the nation.

"In Evers' failed effort to address the achievement gap," he said, "Wisconsin is excused," Walker tweeted. "We have kept our promises to the people of Wisconsin … We should stand by our words, he should too."

Evers' spokeswoman, Britt Cudaback, said Walker was trying to distract from the string of recent bad news, including the lengthy statement issued over the weekend by Mark Gottlieb, a state representative who was Walker's Transportation Department secretary from 2011 to 2017. In it , Gottlieb accused Walker of telling untrue statements about how decisions are made in the United States.

Gottlieb's attack after Walker suggested that the state could save money by adding roads when it was rebuilding roads.

Road funding is a key issue in the race, with Evers blaming Walker for the deteriorating condition of Wisconsin's roads. Some Democrats have taken over referring to potholes as "Scottholes."

Two other past Walker Cabinet members, train Corrections Secretary Ed Wall and Financial Institutions Peter Bildsten Secretary, have also spoken out against Evers.

Bildsten, who was in Walker's Cabinet from 2011 until early 2015, told The Associated Press on Monday that he would not be surprised if more educate Walker allies came forward to oppose him. Bildsten accused Walker of getting excited about his political future after the failed 2012 recall attempt, rather than doing what's best for the state.

"Wisconsin is exhausted from this sort of divisiveness," said Bildsten, who is semi-retired and plans to vote for Evers. "I think Wisconsin is ready for something different."