Arizona’s US Senate race is so interesting, I’m making up words to describe it
Aug 31, 2023, 2:00 PM
The Wall Street Journal says that Republican Blake Masters will run again for the U.S. Senate in Arizona.
Yes, the same Masters, who just lost a Senate race (attempting to replace Democrat Mark Kelly) last year.
But Masters, a millionaire venture capitalist (and sometimes science fiction author) hopes the “second time’s the charm” to get at least one Arizona Republican in the U.S. Senate.
Really, the idea of not having any seemed like science fiction — until, in 2020, Mark Kelly beat Republican Martha McSally (to win the right to complete the last two years of the late John McCain’s final term) and join then-fellow Democrat Kyrsten Sinema in the Senate (who had beaten McSally in 2018 to get there).
Then Kelly beats Masters to win a full six-year Senate term last November — and barely a month later, Sinema switches to Independent — leaving everyone wondering if she’ll run to retain her seat. Which would be an uphill battle without the support of a major political party.
*WHEW!*
If you’re having trouble keeping all the players straight, it’s just gonna get more confusing when another Arizona Republican, who also lost a statewide election in 2022, jumps in the Senate race.
Kari Lake, who lost the governor’s race (except in her mind) to Katie Hobbs last year — possibly because she told McCain Republicans NOT to vote for her — is expected to launch her Senate campaign in October, according to Axios.
Already running is Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb, who announced his run for the U.S. Senate by announcing, back in April, that “…Washington needs a new sheriff in town!”
They’ll all be duking it out for the right to face (likely) future Democratic Senate nominee (and current congressman) Ruben Gallego, in a potential three-way general election race. A three-way race, if Sinema pulls the rip cord and runs.
After Martha McSally lost two statewide elections in a row, many Republicans said, “NEXT!”
So, I’m wondering if they’ll wait for Masters and Lake to lose two before kicking them to the curb?
Or will they pick Lamb — who’s won two (albeit local) elections in a row — while staying busy trying to put human and drug smugglers out of business?
All I know, is that elections in Arizona just keep getting interestinger and interestinger.
And my spellcheck is yelling at me for writing “interestinger.”
