Arizona U.S. Senate candidate Blake Masters holds a nearly double-digit lead over his GOP opponents as the August Republican primary draws closer, according to a new poll.
The survey, which spoke to 400 likely voters, showed Masters at 23.3 percent, compared to 13.5 percent for his closest opponent, Jim Lamon.
Running closely behind Lamon is Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, who secured 13 percent support from the voters. Candidates Michael McGuire and Justin Olson did not obtain double-digit numbers.
However, despite the lead for Masters, the race is not over yet. A high number of respondents, 40 percent, remained undecided in their support of a candidate.
“A crowded field has led to a surprisingly large number of undecided voters who still have not made up their mind – even as voting has started,” explained Chuck Coughlin, president and CEO of HighGround who funded the survey, “We expect that this will slow the rate of return of some Republican ballots as voters continue to study and make up their mind. That being said, there is no doubt that Trump’s endorsement has been a significant boost to the Masters’ campaign and has helped it to catch fire at the right time.”
Early voting has started in the contest and the election will take place on August 2nd.
“With nearly four out of every 10 voters undecided, the race is certainly not over. However, these latest results demonstrate the continued effectiveness of Trump in crowded primary races where he can provide oversized influence,” Coughlin said. “In a head-to-head, we are starting to see the former president’s support start to lose some luster, but in these crowded races, it’s still a significant advantage,” he added. “Expect the next few weeks to be spent attacking Masters to bring him back to earth.”
Former President Donald Trump is returning to the state on Saturday to promote Masters and gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake.
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Cooper Moran is a reporter for The Arizona Sun Times and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Blake Masters” by Blake Masters. Photo “Jim Lamon” by Jim Lamon. Photo “Mark Brnovich” by Mark Brnovich.
