Ahead of Donald Trump’s Saturday return to Phoenix, Arizona’s Republican U.S. Senate primary is heating up, with candidates beginning to lob attacks at both each other and a certain candidate’s out-of-state tech billionaire “boss”-turned-super PAC bankroller.
Here’s the latest in Arizona’s rapidly-escalating nasty primary:
- Mick McGuire: This week took a swipe at Blake Masters over California surveillance-tech billionaire Peter Thiel’s efforts to buy the GOP Senate primary for Masters, saying, “any time there’s out-of-state money […] your small donations of $25, $50, $100, are just as valuable as $10 million coming from someone who can’t vote in this state.”
- Blake Masters: Last week attacked Mark Brnovich, falsely claiming that Brnovich is “not tak[ing] a position on the audit, because he’s thinking about his political future.” (Brnovich has supported the audit and threatened the DOJ not to intervene.)
- Jim Lamon: Last week attacked the rest of the GOP field, telling a local audience that he’s the “only” true conservative running in the primary.
The Republican primary candidates aren’t just attacking each other. They’re also systematically working to undermine confidence in Arizona’s elections — with each giving credibility to state Republicans’ sham “audit,” in what amounts to a desperate effort to impress Trump, that also doubles as a shameful attack on the will of Arizona voters.
“As Peter Thiel tries to buy this GOP primary, Arizona’s Republican Senate candidates are doubling down on spreading Trump’s lies about the election while ramping up the negative personal attacks. It’s clear that none of these Republican candidates have what it takes to put Arizonans first in Congress,” said Brad Bainum, American Bridge 21st Century spokesperson.
Published: Jul 23, 2021