As highlighted in a new report from Politico, Arizona’s already-messy GOP primary has officially been upgraded to a “protracted GOP Senate fight,” following the entry of Peter Thiel employee Blake Masters, whose candidacy will be heavily funded by his surveillance-tech billionaire boss.
Masters is “the second Thiel ally to launch a Senate campaign” following JD Vance’s announcement for the Ohio GOP Senate primary. To buy the election for his current and former employees, “Thiel […] is widely expected to spend millions.” And with a “big financial boost from his boss,” Masters’ entrance “expands Arizona’s Senate Race Field” — ensuring a long, ugly GOP primary.
Politico: Thiel ally’s entrance kicks off protracted GOP Senate fight in Arizona
By: James Arkin | July 12, 2021
Key Points:
- “The race […] has swelled with new Republican entrants in recent weeks — with the latest, Peter Thiel associate Blake Masters, officially launching his campaign Monday.”
- “Arizona’s Republican Party has been riven by deep divisions for more than a decade, and Democrats have capitalized on that by winning key statewide races with less than 50 percent of the vote in the past two elections.”
- “Masters is the second close Thiel ally to launch a Senate bid recently, alongside J.D. Vance, who is running in Ohio and also has the backing of a super PAC funded by Thiel.”
- “The race has been slower to develop than some of the GOP primaries in open Republican seats, and some Republicans were worried early on about a lack of serious contenders.”
Read the full report here.
Published: Jul 13, 2021