Republican Blake Masters is now tied with his opponent Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), in the Grand Canyon State’s U.S. Senate race, according to a poll from a left-wing think tank.
Data for Progress, which is described as “the think tank for the future of progressivism,” released the poll on its website showing Masters and Kelly in a dead heat on Wednesday. Of the respondents, 47 percent are backing Masters, who former President Donald Trump endorses, while 47 percent are supporting Kelly. Another four percent are undecided, and three percent plan to vote for libertarian candidate Marc Victor.
The poll sampled 893 likely voters between October 11-17 and has a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points.
Masters has ridden a wave of momentum into the home stretch, and while Democrat strategists expressed worry about Kelly’s chances over the weekend, this poll from a Democrat organization likely does not ease fears.
“We believe this is a race that’s within a point in either direction, and there’s still a good chance that we would lose,” a Democrat source close to the campaign told Politico. “And it’s important people understand that.”
Election attorney and Democrat consultant Roy Herrera also acknowledged that Democrats are looking at “a very narrow path to victory” in Arizona races.
“Any poll that shows the Democrats are doing any better than the low or mid-single digits is probably not accurate, or won’t be maintained through the election cycle,” he continued.
Masters appeared on Sirius XM’s Breitbart News Saturday over the weekend and told host Matthew Boyle that the momentum behind his campaign was “undeniable.”
“The momentum here on the ground is undeniable, and I’m not surprised to see that reflected in the polls,” Masters said. “You know, we’ve got the winning message. Mark Kelly’s got nothing but lies to run on; he’s got to lie about me with vicious attack ads that are fake, and he’s got to lie about his own record. All of a sudden, he’s pretending to be a center-right Republican; well, no, that’s Campaign Kelly. D.C. Mark Kelly votes in lockstep for Joe Biden’s failed agenda.”
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Kelly has enjoyed a substantial fundraising advantage, raising upwards of $60 million more than the Republican’s campaign as of late September, yet the momentum still seems to be with Masters. What is more, CNN’s Gabby Orr reported Wednesday that a source close to Trump said he is considering a substantial investment in the race to help Masters secure victory on November 8. Additionally, billionaire Peter Thiel, who helped fund Masters during the GOP primary, is contemplating a home stretch donation as well, according to Orr.