Arizona Libertarian Drops Out, Endorses Republican Blake Masters for Senate

Arizona Libertarian U.S. Senate candidate Marc Victor dropped out of the race and endorsed Republican candidate Blake Masters on Tuesday, emphasizing that he believes Masters would advance the “cause of freedom and peace.”

Victor explained that he and Masters had an extended conversation over many issues and found that it would be “in the best interests of freedom and peace” to drop out and endorse Masters. The topics ranged from the Federal Reserve, foreign policy, and the “drug war” to the Second Amendment.

Victor said in a statement:

At my invitation, Blake Masters and I had an unscripted, open, and recorded discussion and exchange of ideas on a variety of issues – we discussed the economy, taxation, foreign policy, existential threats, education, the Federal Reserve, energy policy, guns, immigration, abortion, the drug war, separation of church and state, same-sex marriage, and euthanasia. I found Blake to be generally supportive of the Live and Let Live Global Peace Movement. Likewise, we found ourselves in general agreement about how to improve America and advance the cause of freedom and peace. After that discussion, I believe it is in the best interests of freedom and peace to withdraw my candidacy and enthusiastically support Blake Masters for United States Senate. I intend to assist in any way reasonably possible to elect Blake.

“Marc Victor joins a growing list of Arizonans from across the political spectrum who are fed up with open borders, big government corruption, and rising crime,” Masters responded in a statement. “We are building a broad coalition to defeat the worst Senator in America.”

Victor’s endorsement of Masters follows as a couple of polls have found that Masters and his Democrat opponent, Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), are now in a statistical dead heat. An NBC News poll released on Monday found that, without Victor, Masters and Kelly would be tied.

Although Masters refers to himself as a “nationalist,” the Arizona Republican Senate candidate harbors many views that would align with libertarians’ stances.

Masters favors a noninterventionist foreign policy, believing that America should favor nationalism, not “nation-building.”

He shared an op-ed Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) wrote for Compact Magazine, in which the Missouri senator asserted that too many Republicans have forgotten about the Republican Party’s noninterventionist foreign policy heritage.

“‘What America needs is not nation-building, but nationalism.’ @HawleyMO nails it,” Masters wrote, quoting Hawley’s op-ed. 

If Masters is able to oust Kelly, then it would likely expand the number of Senate conservatives who would oppose further entangling the United States abroad and refocus the Senate’s efforts on addressing the major crises unfolding under President Joe Biden.

Further, Masters has written about a noninterventionist foreign policy for the libertarian website LewRockwell, which was founded by Lew Rockwell, a former chief of staff for libertarian icon and former Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX). Rockwell is now the chairman of the Mises Institute.

Masters is also pro-Bitcoin, a favorite issue for many libertarians. 

He wrote in September 2021, “China banned cryptocurrency last week. Let’s do the opposite. The US government should buy a strategic reserve of Bitcoin — Fort Nakamoto, the new Fort Knox. Related: my U.S. Senate campaign now accepts BTC donations.”

David Gornoski, a radio host, wrote for American Greatness that many “liberty lovers” would have much to like about Masters:

In our discussion, Masters expressed interest in politically challenging the Federal Reserve’s insane monetary policies—something the Senate desperately needs more ambitious voices to do immediately. Both parties printed trillions of dollars, using the pandemic as an excuse to enrich cronies and corporations. Now historically high rates of inflation continue to tax our savings at close to 10 percent while wages are stagnant and food, energy, medicine, and housing costs soar.

Now Masters’ sympathies lie more with the nationalist wing, but with Victor’s endorsement, many libertarian Arizonans have much they could appreciate in Masters. 

Referring to Victor’s endorsement, Masters concluded in his statement, “This is another major boost of momentum as we consolidate our support against the extreme and radical policies of Mark Kelly and Joe Biden. Live and Let Live.”