For Immediate Release
Thursday, August 31st, 2023
Contact: Olivia Taylor-Puckett, otpuckett@azdem.org
Masters’ Entry Into Senate Race Sets Up a “Collision Course,” Increasing Fears GOP Will “Blow It Again” in Arizona
ARIZONA -– Yesterday, the Wall Street Journal reported failed Senate candidate Blake Masters plans to launch another campaign for Senate. Masters’ entry sets up a nightmare scenario for Arizona Republicans, putting Masters, Kari Lake, and Mark Lamb on a “collision course” and increasing “[fears] they may blow it again.”
Here’s what they’re saying about the Arizona GOP’s nightmare primary:
- Arizona Republic: Blake Masters said to be set to enter Senate race, signaling Republican battles ahead. “Masters’ potential reentry into politics caps a fitful period for Arizona Republicans. The party absorbed other dispiriting statewide defeats, including Lake’s gubernatorial loss, seen election denialism remain in the headlines and the state party committee has run on financial vapors.”
- Arizona Republic’s Laurie Roberts: Kari Lake vs. Blake Masters for U.S. Senate? Oh, it’s on (already). “It’s no surprise that Blake Masters will run for U.S. Senate. That was clear last week, when Kari Lake began sharpening her knives…Politicos tell me Lake’s team has been whispering that Masters isn’t a team player, that he’s just in it for himself and not properly shouting to the heavens about election fraud.”
- Axios: Two Trump favorites poised for ugly primary fight. “Blake Masters is readying a GOP Senate primary campaign that would put him on a potential collision course with Kari Lake, multiple media outlets reported Wednesday.”
- New York Magazine: A MAGA War Between Blake Masters and Kari Lake Is Brewing in Arizona. ”Unsuccessful 2022 Senate candidate Blake Masters, a close associate of Peter Thiel’s and purveyor of a distinctive brand of creepy political ads, is about to jump into the 2024 race, according to Politico.”
- Vanity Fair: Watch Out, Kari Lake, Blake Masters Is Going for Another Senate Run. “Arizona’s US Senate race has a considerable chance of becoming the weirdest contest of 2024 […] Masters and Lake were close allies last cycle, both backed by Trump and running on his informal ‘America First’ slate. But Lake has already fired the first shot in their expected primary matchup.”
- Politico: “And Republicans could face a tough primary between Masters, Lake and Lamb…”
- The Messenger: “Masters’s decision to run again puts him on a collision course with Kari Lake, the 2022 gubernatorial nominee who lost to Gov. Katie Hobbs by around 17,000 votes […] She is reportedly leaning towards launching a Senate bid. Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb is the only one major Republican who has launched a bid.”
- The Daily Beast: “A race for the Republican nomination in the battleground state could see Masters squaring off with Kari Lake, the failed gubernatorial candidate who has indicated she is weighing a run for the Senate.”
- Washington Examiner: “[Masters’] entry will bring additional tension to a crowded and fiery competition […] Masters entering the race could also set him up to face former gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake, a firebrand conservative who lost in 2022 […] Arizona Republicans are wary about selecting her as their party’s choice for senator, fearing a repeat of 2022.”
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