The Senate Leadership Fund (SLF) is canceling nearly $10 million in advertising supporting Arizona Republican Blake Masters, Axios reported Tuesday.
The Super PAC, associated with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, was scheduled to spend $9.6 million on independent expenditures in favor of Masters. SLF expects the spending to be made up by outside groups, most notably the Sentinel Action Fund, according to Axios.
McConnell’s super PAC is pulling the plug on its Arizona TV ads, leaving it to other conservative groups to boost @bgmasters in his race against @SenMarkKelly, from @JoshKraushaar https://t.co/BGBHoGeZJ9
— Jeremy Duda (@jeremyduda) September 20, 2022
Republicans have expressed concern with Masters’ fundraising totals. The former Thiel Capitol chief operating officer trails incumbent Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly in fundraising both in- and out-of-state. Masters won his primary on the back of an endorsement from former President Donald Trump and $15 million in independent expenditures from billionaire GOP donor Peter Thiel, but Thiel has not donated towards the general election bid.
McConnell appeared at a fundraiser for Thiel on Sept. 6, and is scheduled to attend another on Wednesday. He has expressed concern about Republicans’ ability to take back the Senate, telling reporters on Tuesday that doing so was a “50-50” proposition and a “jump ball.” (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: SOURCE: Mitch McConnell To Attend Second Fundraiser For Blake Masters As GOPers Bury Feud)
SLF previously canceled nearly $8 million in ad buys supporting Masters, with PAC President Steven Law signaling that the cash would go to support Republican Ohio nominee JD Vance. The group is spending in several other battleground states, including Georgia, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Wisconsin, and Nevada.
The Masters campaign has raised nearly $5 million, and has more than $1.5 million on-hand, according to Federal Election Commission filings. The Sentinel Action Fund, a Super PAC associated with Heritage Action for America, will contribute another $5 million in independent expenditures. Saving Arizona PAC, which Thiel used as his vehicle in the Arizona primary, will spend $1.68 million.
Polls of the race show Kelly leading Masters by about three points.