Former Arizona Republican U.S. Senate candidate Blake Masters is set to launch another bid for Senate to fill the seat held by Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with his plans.
Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) defeated Masters by about five points in the 2022 election. Now, Masters is expected to announce a second Senate campaign in the coming weeks, according to reports.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA – NOVEMBER 02: U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) speaks at a campaign event at Cesar Chavez High School on November 02, 2022 in Phoenix, Arizona. Former President Barack Obama has campaigned for Sen. Kelly, Democratic gubernatorial nominee Katie Hobbs, and other Arizona Democratic candidates in tight midterm races. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
However, Masters’ expected candidacy could potentially complicate the Republican primary, as former gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake is also expected to make a bid to fill Sinema’s seat.
Republican candidate for Governor of Arizona Kari Lake answers questions written in advance during her Ask Me Anything Tour in Scottsdale, Arizona, on October 25, 2022. (Photo by OLIVIER TOURON / AFP) (Photo by OLIVIER TOURON/AFP via Getty Images)
One Arizona GOP strategist said if Lake runs, “There is not lane for Blake Masters.”
As Politico reported:
Barrett Marson, an Arizona-based GOP strategist, said he talked to Masters a few months ago and he “was pretty decisively in.” However, he said, Masters had been waiting for Lake to decide whether to run.
“I think he is now under the impression that maybe Kari Lake isn’t going to run, because I’ll tell you if Lake and Blake are both in, he is wasting his time,” he said. “They occupy the same lane. They have nearly the same name. And she has much better positive name ID among Republicans than Blake does.”
“If Kari Lake runs, there is no lane for Blake Masters,” he added.
Sinema, a Democrat-turned-Independent, has yet to announce any reelection plans. Rep Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) is running for the Democrat nomination, while Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb, who has struggled to gain traction and fundraise, is already running for the Republican nomination.
FILE – Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., speaks during a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committee hearing to examine social media’s impact on homeland security, Sept. 14, 2022, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Sinema says Americans prefer politicians who work across the aisle. The Arizona Democrat gave a forceful defense of her brand of bipartisanship Monday in a speech in Kentucky. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
Masters was highly critical of Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) in the aftermath of the 2022 election after the McConnell-aligned super PAC Senate Leadership Fund pulled nearly $10 million in reserved advertisements for the U.S. Senate race in Arizona.
As Breitbart News reported:
Ultimately, PACs, including the Sentinel Action Fund, MAGA, Inc., and Saving Arizona, poured millions of dollars into the race to bolster Masters after the SLF reportedly left an enormous void.
Moreover, the SLF pulled $5.6 million from New Hampshire’s GOP Senate candidate, Gen. Don Bolduc, in his race against Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH) in late October as the race tightened in the polls. The decision to take investments out of New Hampshire coincided with the SLF’s move to dump $9 million behind Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) to help stave off her Trump-backed GOP challenger, Kelly Tshibaka.
In other words, the McConnell-aligned SLF essentially abandoned a GOP candidate facing a Democrat and, at the same time, funded a pro-impeachment establishment Republican in her reelection against an America First challenger.
“He doesn’t deserve to be a majority leader or a minority leader,” Masters said of McConnell.
Jordan Dixon-Hamilton is a reporter for Breitbart News. Write to him at jdixonhamilton@breitbart.com or follow him on Twitter.
