Arizona US Senate hopeful Blake Masters sees his youth as an asset

PHOENIX – Blake Masters would be one of the U.S. Senate’s youngest members if he makes it through next year’s Arizona Republican primary and then unseats Democrat Mark Kelly.

The 35-year-old venture capitalist told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s The Mike Broomhead Show on Monday he sees his relative youth an advantage.

“I think we need a dose of energy and youthful optimism in the United States Senate, where I think the median age of a senator is like 62, 63 years old,” said Masters, who grew up in Tucson.

“That means there’s a lot of 80-year-olds, God bless them, in the United States Senate.”

Masters, the chief operating officer for San Francisco-based Thiel Capital, calls the border situation Arizona’s biggest issue, which certainly doesn’t set him apart from the Republican field. But he says he won’t “sound like a traditional politician” on the campaign trail.

“I’m not afraid to get out and say what I think and take stands on issues that are different from what maybe the political consultant class insists is safe,” he said.

“So I think a lot of the candidates in the race will wind up sounding like every other Republican from every other race. And I think people are tired of that.”

Masters isn’t the only political outsider in the GOP race. Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich is the only major candidate with political experience. Former Arizona National Guard leader Mick McGuire and Valley businessman Jim Lamon are also angling to take on Kelly in a race that could make the difference in which party controls the Senate.

Masters is hoping his message will resonate not only with Republican primary voters, but with the independent and moderate general election voters who helped Kelly unseat Republican Martha McSally in 2020.

“I think my competitors in this race, they know they have to say America First, they know they have to say pro-Trump things, but I don’t think they’ll be able to articulate, ‘Why did Trump win in 2016? What was the country feeling? What wasn’t working from the Obama administration?,’” he said.

“I think I can speak to those issues in a new way. I think it will attract a lot of energy and excitement.”

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