For Immediate Release
Wednesday, August 10, 2022
Contact: Hannah Goss, hgoss@azdem.org

RECAP: Arizonans Hear All About Blake Masters, the Dangerous GOP #AZSen Nominee 
PHOENIX — Last week, right after Blake Masters limped out of his GOP Senate primary with just 40% of the vote, Arizona Democrats held press conferences in Phoenix and Tucson to introduce Arizonans to the real Blake Masters.

At the events, ADP Chair Raquel Terán, Tucson Mayor Regina Romero, and other Arizona leaders pointed to Masters’ own words to highlight just how dangerous he is, including his previous comments praising the Unabomber, blaming “Black people” for gun violence, calling for a nationwide abortion ban, and more.

TV, print, and radio outlets all covered the events, leaving Arizonans with one simple takeaway: Blake Masters is not like us, and his dangerous beliefs do not represent Arizona values.

See below for a roundup of coverage: 

[WATCH] NBC Tucson: “Romero says the choice is clear. ‘I just learned actually that Blake Masters lives here in Tucson. Well, I’m here to say, as the Mayor of Tucson, he does not represent Tucsonans, he does not represent Arizonans.’”

[WATCH] ABC Tucson: “Today Romero called [Masters’] views ‘dangerous’ and ‘out of step with most Arizonans.’ ‘For me, it’s about having policymakers and especially, in the U.S. Senate, that will represent each and every Arizonan and each and every working family and our small businesses and our business community — and not just a radical, extremist fringe.'”

[LISTEN] KJZZ: “On Thursday, State Democratic Party Chair Raquel Teran labeled Masters an extremist at a local news conference. ‘He ran to represent the far, far right and the far, far right only.’”

[LISTEN] KTAR News: “Arizona Democratic Party Chair and State Senator Raquel Terán says Senator Mark Kelly is the best option to represent all Arizonans…‘Blake Masters is an out of touch extremist and he knows nothing about the people in our beautiful state.’ She stresses her belief that Blake Masters only represents the far right: ‘Blake Masters is not a typical Republican. He is no moderate. He is not an independent leader willing to work with others to get the job done.’”

[READ] ABC Tucson: Democrats call Senate candidate Masters dangerous. 

• [Mayor Regina Romero] describes Mark Kelly as a pragmatic Senator who will cross party lines to get Arizonans what they need—and called Blake Masters’ views dangerous and out of touch.
• “He speaks favorably about Nazi leaders…He has called the gender pay gap fake saying that women make less money because men are the only ones who have dangerous jobs.”

[READ] NBC Tucson: Race between Kelly, Masters could determine balance of power in Senate. 

• [Mayor Romero] and other elected Democrats from Southern Arizona argue Masters is a right-wing extremist, out of touch with most Arizona voters.
• “He speaks favorably about Nazi leaders,” Romero said in a news conference in Downtown Tucson Friday. “He has said that black people are to blame for gun violence. There could be no clearer choice. An extremist, out of touch or a Senator like Mark Kelly who is pragmatic, works with people across the aisle.”

[READ] Yellow Sheet: 

• Dems also sounded ready to highlight some of the more controversial statements Masters has made over the years. ‘Blake Masters is not like us,’ said Raquel Teran, chair of the Arizona Democratic Party. ‘He has called the US participation in World War II unjust, and favorably quoted a Nazi leader. He has said that Black people are to blame for gun violence, and he has called a gender pay gap fake.’

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