Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN), Chairman of the Republican Study Committee, has endorsed Blake Masters for U.S. Senate in Arizona.

“I’m excited to announce my support for Blake Masters in his bid for the U.S. Senate in Arizona. Blake represents the future of our party and our country,” Banks said in a statement released by the Masters campaign.

He’s pro-worker, pro-family, and America First. I’m optimistic about his candidacy because Blake has the background to actually get things done. We all know that Big Tech has been weaponized against us and now poses a huge threat. Blake has worked in Silicon Valley, he knows the ideology that motivates these tech oligarchs, and he is committed to stopping them. Not to mention, Blake represents our best shot to unseat the Democrat incumbent, Mark Kelly, and to take back the Senate Majority. I’m proud to endorse Blake Masters for Senate.

Masters, who is COO of Thiel Capital, said he was honored to receive Banks’ support, calling the Indiana Republican both a friend and leader who he admires.

“Jim Banks’ faith in the American people and his willingness to fight for us set the bar for all who serve in Congress,” Masters stated. “I’ll be excited to work with him when I get to Washington.”

The endorsement from Banks, who as RSC chairman has called for the Republican Party to move in a more populist direction, is likely to further burnish Masters’ bona fides among American First-style conservatives. The technology executive has quickly established himself as a fierce opponent of Big Tech and a strong proponent of former President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.

In addition to Banks, Masters has picked up the endorsement of former Trump national security adviser Robert O’Brien.

“Like President Trump and President [Ronald] Reagan, he believes in a peace through strength approach to American foreign policy and national security,” O’Brien told the Washington Examiner last week. “Blake has the business background to bring new, innovative companies to the state. If we want bold solutions we need a new generation of leaders like Blake in office.”

The Masters campaign recently highlighted its fundraising prowess, pointing out that the first-time candidate raised $1,015,044 from over 3,100 donors in Q3, which was more than all his opponents combined. Fellow Arizona Republican senate candidates such as state Attorney General Mark Brnovich took in $562,822, while Gen. Mick McGuire and longtime businessman Jim Lamon raised $200,404 and $132,926, respectively.

“The numbers speak for themselves,” Masters said of the figures:

We have the momentum and it’s translating to hard dollars. That’s crucial, because Mark Kelly is going to easily raise over $100 million in this race. Waiting around until August won’t cut it. Self-funding (and pretending that self-funding is “fundraising”) won’t cut it. We need to be putting up serious numbers now. What my fundraising haul represents is new energy and excitement from a new generation of Republican supporters. That’s what it’s going to take to win. Without it, we can say goodbye to 2022, 2024, and the future of our country.

The Arizona Republican primary is scheduled to take place on August 2, 2022.