Sen Mark Kelly (left) eyes his challenger Blake Masters during a debate sponsored by PBS/ Screenshot || The Hill
By Ronald J. Hansen and Alison Steinbach || Arizona Republic
U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly’s long-presumed advantage in his reelection campaign has dwindled to what some are increasingly seeing as akin to a coin toss.
On Thursday, election analysts for the nonpartisan Cook Political Report and for Politico moved the race to a toss-up. Earlier in the week, a Democratic polling firm released a poll showing the race with Republican challenger Blake Masters tied.
After months without continued support, records filed Thursday confirmed that billionaire Peter Thiel recently stepped in with at least another $2.5 million to support Masters’ efforts.
Masters and the GOP more broadly are running with momentum, and it’s raising worries for Democrats that one of the linchpins of their strategy to hold the Senate could be falling away.
Polling, including a poll conducted in late September for The Arizona Republic, had shown Kelly leading the race by upper single-digits. But multiple polls now have shown the race within the margin of polling error.
“Despite massive financial backing from the wealthy special interests who control him, Mark Kelly’s campaign is floundering. Because Arizonans know Mark Kelly is the one responsible for surging inflation, surging crime and surging gas prices. They also know that Mark Kelly is the single Senator most responsible for our open border disaster,” Masters said in a written statement.
“This election is a referendum on border security and Mark Kelly’s betrayal of every Arizona family. A vote for Kelly is a vote for open borders. A vote for me is a vote for secure borders and safe communities. That’s what is at stake in this election,” Masters continued.
Kelly’s campaign maintains that others are now seeing the tightened race they always expected.
“We have never taken this race for granted,” said Sarah Guggenheimer, a Kelly campaign spokesperson. “As Senator Kelly travels to every corner of Arizona to speak to voters and fire up volunteers, it’s never been more clear how much overwhelming enthusiasm there is to reelect Senator Kelly and keep him fighting for our state.”
Others are more subdued in their assessment.
