The Senate Leadership Fund, a political action committee associated with Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), has canceled a month’s worth of ad buys in Arizona supporting Republican Senate nominee Blake Masters.
The PAC announced Tuesday it was pulling $9.6 million in television ads out of Arizona and redistributing the money to other high-priority races. The move cancels the four weeks of airtime between Oct. 4 and Election Day on Nov. 8.
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A number of outside groups have stepped up to offset the shortfall, committing $7.5 million in new spending in the state. The organizations include Sentinel Action, Saving Arizona, Our American Century, the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the Club for Growth, and Restoration PAC.
“We’re glad to see Republican outside forces showing up in a big way in Arizona, with millions in new spending pledged to take down Mark Kelly in the final stretch,” SLF President Steven Law said in a statement. “This allows us to pursue offensive opportunities, maximize our investment in existing commitments, and concentrate our efforts to win the Senate majority. We remain optimistic that the issue environment is in our favor, we have multiple pathways to obtain the majority, and we are spending heavily and strategically to achieve that goal.”
The SLF had pared back its initial commitment in Arizona, announcing it was canceling $8 million of ad buys last month. McConnell reportedly hoped GOP megadonor Peter Thiel, who poured $15 million into Masters’s candidacy during the primary, would step up with more backing in the general election, but the venture capitalist has so far declined. Thiel will host a fundraiser for Masters, though, at McConnell’s request this month.
With the latest cancellations, the SLF is no longer investing in Arizona. The organization said it would spend $3.8 million in Georgia, $2.4 million in New Hampshire, and $2.1 million in Nevada this week.
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McConnell said last month that he believed “candidate quality” could affect Republicans’ odds of recapturing the upper chamber, a remark many interpreted as a reference to Senate candidates like Masters, who is currently trailing Kelly in the polls by an average of 3.3 points. According to recent reports, McConnell is more confident behind closed doors about the GOP’s chances of retaking the Senate majority in November.
