“The fact that Trump feels like he has to come here a month out from Election Day shows you where the race is,” said one Democratic strategist. Republicans see sharing the stage with the former president as an important moment for Masters and one that will increase media attention of the candidate, but some acknowledge Trump may focus the rally on past grievances instead of the midterms.ĭemocrats, for their part, see Trump’s visit as a sign of weakness. Trump is also returning to the state on Sunday to give a boost to his endorsees in the state, including Masters, gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake (R) and others. In a sign that Republicans have renewed their efforts in the race, CNBC reported that Thiel suggested to guests during a fundraising event that he hosted at his home in Los Angeles for Masters that he would be helping the Republican candidate, though it’s uncertain how. Masters’s campaign did not respond to multiple requests for comment. And frankly, only half of that is what it takes to win that primary, but not what it takes to have general election appeal.” “At this point, the Arizona electorate is divided into the thirds, one-third is Republican. The dividend that it paid was his winning that primary,” DeMenna said.
“When Trump selected Masters, the Trump bump paid off. A Marist Poll released last week found that Kelly led Masters 51 percent to 34 percent among independent voters alone, while another poll released last month by OH Predictive Insights found the senator receiving 43 percent of support among independents, while Masters only received 28 percent.Ī CBS News-YouGov Battleground Tracker survey released Wednesday showed Masters closing the gap with independents, receiving 48 percent compared to Kelly’s 49 percent. Some polling shows Kelly leading Masters by as much as double digits among the independent voter bloc. Kim Fridkin, a foundation professor for the School of Politics and Global Studies at Arizona State University, said that the financial advantage has allowed Kelly to define himself early on in the race, especially given that the former NASA astronaut didn’t have a primary challenger. Republicans and political observers also point to the wide cash advantage that Kelly holds over Masters. Matt Salmon (Ariz.), who lost the GOP nomination for governor this year. “… The primary was such a narrow band when compared to the general election population of likely voters that what Mitch McConnell said and meant, talking about poor candidate selection, we’re seeing on the ground here,” said Kevin DeMenna, an Arizona Republican consultant and longtime supporter of former Rep. But recent polling shows that tactic might not be working among voters. Post-primary, Masters’s campaign scrubbed some of his far-right stances from his website and made attempts at moderating his messaging. Masters, a venture capitalist with ties to GOP megadonor Peter Thiel, leaned into the culture wars before and even after the primary, falsely claiming children were being taught to be transgender and slamming Democrats over t heir “diversity obsession.” He’s taken heat for his past comments on issues like abortion and gun violence, including w hen he claimed that abortion rights advocates saw the medical procedure as a “religious sacrifice” and for suggesting that Black people were the cause of gun violence. And that he has his talking points and that he’s scripted.” “However, he has made some gaffes in the recent past that have not helped him, so just hoping he practices. “Blake is a real smart guy, that is not in dispute,” said GOP strategist Barrett Marson, who’s previously worked on Masters’s campaign.
Now with less than five weeks to go before the midterms, Republicans are hoping Masters, who has the backing of former President Trump, can use the opportunity to appeal to a broader swath of voters in a race that is seen as crucial to flipping the upper chamber.
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