Blake Masters

Masters was born in Denver, Colorado, in 1986, the son of Marilyn, who ran a tutoring center, and Scott Masters, who worked in the software industry.{{cite web |url=https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2022/07/blake-masters-peter-thiel-donald-trump-arizona-senate-mark-kelly/ | title=Blake Masters is Peter Thiel's dream candidate—and a total nightmare for democracy }} He grew up in Tucson, Arizona.{{cite web|url=https://www.vox.com/recode/2019/10/2/20895940/blake-masters-us-senate-run-arizona-martha-mcsally-donald-trump|title=One of Peter Thiel's closest aides might run for the US Senate|first=Theodore|last=Schleifer|work=Vox|date=October 2, 2019|access-date=May 22, 2021}} In high school, Masters attended Green Fields Country Day School, which was at the time a private school in Tucson, where he played basketball.{{Cite book |title=Gorefox 2004 |publisher=Green Fields Country Day School |year=2004 |volume=37 |location=Tucson, Arizona |pages=1–132 |language=English}} He graduated in 2004. Masters received a bachelor's degree in political science from Stanford University in 2008.Matthew Kassel, [https://jewishinsider.com/2022/06/blake-masters-arizona-senate-livejournal/ The evolution of Blake Masters], Jewish Insider (June 7, 2022). He then earned a J.D. from Stanford University Law School in 2012.{{Cite web |last=Lanard |first=Noah |date=September–October 2022 |title=Blake Masters is Peter Thiel's dream candidate—and a total nightmare for democracy |url=https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2022/07/blake-masters-peter-thiel-donald-trump-arizona-senate-mark-kelly/ |access-date=August 17, 2022 |website=Mother Jones |language=en-US}}

As a teenage undergraduate, Masters expressed his political views on a CrossFit chat room and a LiveJournal blog. In a 2006 essay criticizing the War in Iraq on the libertarian site LewRockwell.com, Masters decried U.S. entry into World War I and described a quote from Nazi Hermann Goering on the susceptibility of the masses to incitements of war, as being "particularly representative and poignant".{{cite web |last1=Masters |first1=Blake |title=The Lusitania Is Down! (or How to Sell a War) |url=https://www.lewrockwell.com/2006/02/blake-masters/the-lusitania-is-down-orhowtosellawar/ |website=LewRockwell.com |access-date=September 28, 2022 |language=en |date=February 14, 2006|quote=I'll end with a particularly representative and poignant quotation:}}The quote from Goering that Masters cited in his college anti-war essay: "Oh, that is all well and good, but, voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country."

• {{cite web |title=Blake Masters' provocations reach back to his college days |url=https://jewishinsider.com/2022/04/blake-masters-provocations-reach-back-to-his-college-days/ |website=Jewish Insider |date=April 28, 2022 |access-date=August 3, 2022|quote=Unexpectedly, Masters concludes his article with what he describes as a "particularly representative and poignant quotation" from Goering, a high-ranking Nazi official who was known as Adolf Hitler's right-hand man...}}
• The quote was taken from an interview conducted at the Nuremberg trials. See {{cite web |title=Interview with Herman Goering |url=https://www.mit.edu/people/fuller/peace/war_goering.html |website=Massachusetts Institute of Technology |access-date=August 3, 2022}} He also endorsed conspiracy theorist G. Edward Griffin's claim that the "Houses of Morgan and Rothschild" were linked to the sinking of the Lusitania.Jonathan Weisman, [https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/06/us/politics/blake-masters.html The Strident Writings of a Young Blake Masters Dog His Senate Run], New York Times (July 6, 2022).

During his college years, Masters contended that Iraq and al-Qaeda were not "substantial threats to Americans", calling for "unrestricted immigration" and an isolationist foreign policy. On his 2006 writings, he told the Jewish Insider in 2022, "I was 19, writing in opposition to the Iraq War—a stance that turned out to be prescient. I went too far and stated that no recent American wars have been just." He added: "I suppose it was only a matter of time before I got called antisemitic for criticizing wartime propaganda in an essay I wrote as a teenager."

Masters' posts became a political issue after they were unearthed during his 2022 Senate campaign.Matthew Kassel, [https://jewishinsider.com/2022/04/blake-masters-provocations-reach-back-to-his-college-days/ Blake Masters' provocations reach back to his college days], Jewish Insider (April 2022). The Anti-Defamation League criticized him, and Masters' primary rival Jim Lamon ran television ads highlighting the posts.

Masters spent four months in 2010 as a law clerk for a U.S. Attorney's Office.{{cite web|last=Brandom|first=Russell|date=April 26, 2021|title=Peter Thiel is spending $10 million to back a business partner's Senate bid|url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/4/26/22403518/peter-thiel-pac-arizona-senate-donation-mark-kelly|access-date=May 22, 2021|work=The Verge}} In January 2011 he met Thiel at Stanford Law School. They exchanged emails with each other a year later and Thiel invited Masters to attend a class he was to teach in spring 2012. Masters would post detailed notes from Thiel's lectures on a blog which grew popular within the tech community.{{cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2014/09/16/zero-to-one-how-blake-masters-went-from-being-peter-thiels-student-to-co-author/|title=Zero to One: How Blake Masters went from being Peter Thiel's student to co-author|first=Billy|last=Gallagher|work=TechCrunch|date=September 16, 2014|access-date=May 22, 2021}} Renditions of Masters' notes reappeared online, prompting Masters to get in contact with Thiel about compiling them into a book. Zero to One was released in September 2014 and received warm reviews from The Atlantic and Publishers Weekly.{{cite web|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/09/peter-thiel-zero-to-one-review/380738/|title=Peter Thiel's Zero to One Might Be the Best Business Book I've Read|first=Derek|last=Thompson|work=The Atlantic|date=September 25, 2014|access-date=May 22, 2021}}{{cite web|url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-8041-3929-8|title=Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future|work=Publishers Weekly|date=August 11, 2014|access-date=May 22, 2021}} According to Politico, the book portrayed "globalization as the enemy of innovation."{{cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2021/05/17/peter-thiel-senate-megadonor-488799|title=Rise of a megadonor: Thiel makes a play for the Senate|first=Alex|last=Isenstadt|work=Politico|date=May 17, 2021|access-date=May 22, 2021}} Masters was included on Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2014.{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/kathryndill/2014/11/05/30-under-30-political-animals/?sh=1c32f1546d78|title=30 Under 30: Political Animals|first=Kathryn|last=Dill|work=Forbes|date=November 5, 2014|access-date=May 24, 2021}}

Masters co-founded Judicata, a legal research service, in 2013. The website officially launched in 2017, though Masters left the project in 2014.{{cite web|url=https://www.lawsitesblog.com/2017/05/five-years-stealth-mode-judicata-reveals-legal-research-service.html|title=After Five Years in Stealth Mode, Judicata Reveals Its Legal Research Service|first=Robert|last=Ambrogi|work=LawSites|date=May 3, 2017|access-date=May 24, 2021}} The website was acquired by Fastcase in 2020.{{cite web|url=https://www.law.com/legaltechnews/2020/09/03/fastcase-acquires-judicata-as-it-eyes-expanding-further-beyond-legal-research/|title=Fastcase Acquires Judicata as it Eyes Expanding Further Beyond Legal Research|first=Victoria|last=Hudgins|work=Law.com|date=September 3, 2020|access-date=May 24, 2021}} After meeting Thiel, Masters went to work for him, becoming chief operating officer of the investment firm Thiel Capital and president of the Thiel Foundation.{{cite news|first=Jonathan J.|last=Cooper|url=https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-government-and-politics-arizona-senate-elections-election-2020-e80b92e3f88b4dea032454983c8cd6fb|title=Blake Masters launches GOP run against Sen. Kelly of Arizona|work=Associated Press|date=July 12, 2021}}{{cite news|first=Isaac|last=Stanley-Becker|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/05/24/peter-thiel-blake-masters-arizona-senate/|title=Peter Thiel puts another $3.5 million behind Blake Masters in Arizona|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=May 24, 2022}} Thiel chose Masters and other employees to assist in the presidential transition of Donald Trump in November 2016.{{cite news|url=https://gazette.com/business/peter-thiel-seeks-silicon-valley-insiders-who-will-help-trump/article_b9a022c9-c8ef-5ccf-991e-5d9c941024f7.html|title=Peter Thiel seeks Silicon Valley insiders who will help Trump|first=Elizabeth|last=Dwoskin|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=November 28, 2016|access-date=May 22, 2021}}{{cite web|url=https://news.yahoo.com/president-smarter-blake-masters-plans-222800274.html|title='The president is smarter than that': How Blake Masters plans to woo Trump's endorsement in Arizona Senate race|first=David M.|last=Drucker|work=Washington Examiner|date=July 12, 2021|access-date=July 14, 2021}}

In October 2019, Masters suggested he would launch a primary challenge against Republican U.S. Senator Martha McSally, expressing concern McSally was not a good candidate and criticizing her loss in the 2018 election, which Masters said was a "winnable" race.{{cite web|url=https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/elections/2019/10/02/sen-martha-mcsally-may-draw-another-gop-primary-challenger-tucson-entrepreneur-blake-masters/3844508002/|title=Sen. Martha McSally may get another Republican primary challenger|first=Yvonne Wingett|last=Sanchez|work=The Arizona Republic|date=October 2, 2019|access-date=May 22, 2021}} In January 2020, Masters said he would not run against McSally.{{cite web|url=https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/01/02/martha-mcsally-loses-potential-challenger-ties-peter-thiel-blake-masters/2799870001/|title=Potential McSally primary challenger decides against 2020 Senate race|first=Yvonne Wingett|last=Sanchez|work=The Arizona Republic|date=January 2, 2020|access-date=May 22, 2021}}

In March 2022, Masters resigned from his positions at Thiel's investment firm and foundation to campaign in the 2022 Arizona Senate race.{{Cite web |last=Kirsch |first=Noah |date=March 16, 2022 |title=Peter Thiel Protégé Blake Masters Resigns From Thiel Groups |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/peter-thiel-protege-blake-masters-resigns-from-thiel-groups-as-senate-bid-heats-up |access-date=August 23, 2022 |website=The Daily Beast |language=en}}

{{Main|2022 United States Senate election in Arizona}}

File:Blake Masters (51335977975).jpg, 2021]]

File:AZ U.S. Senate Nominee Blake Masters Introduces His Wife At A Campaign Rally in Oro Valley.jpg

[[File:2022 United States Senate Republican primary election in Arizona results map by county.svg|thumb|upright|Republican primary results by county

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|{{legend|#ffc8cd|30–40%}}

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|{{legend|#ffcca9|30–40%}}

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In April 2021, Masters reappeared as a potential candidate for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in 2022, challenging incumbent Democrat Mark Kelly. Peter Thiel spent $10 million to seed a new pro-Masters super PAC, "Saving Arizona PAC", to promote Masters' candidacy.{{cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2021/04/26/peter-thiel-arizona-senate-race-484585|title=Peter Thiel makes $10M bet on associate in Arizona Senate race|first=Alex|last=Isenstadt|work=Politico|date=April 26, 2021}} Masters officially entered the race in July 2021,{{cite web|url=https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/elections/2021/07/12/blake-masters-enters-gop-senate-race-arizona/7907549002/|title=Blake Masters enters GOP Senate race, saying age, political experience 'overrated'|first=Yvonne Wingett|last=Sanchez|work=The Arizona Republic|date=July 12, 2021|access-date=July 14, 2021}}{{Cite web|date=July 12, 2021|title=Blake Masters launches GOP run against Sen. Kelly of Arizona|url=https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-government-and-politics-arizona-senate-elections-election-2020-e80b92e3f88b4dea032454983c8cd6fb|access-date=December 30, 2021|work=Associated Press|language=en}} and Thiel gave an additional $3.5 million to the pro-Masters super PAC in May 2022.{{Cite web|first=Bryan|last=Metzger|title=Tech billionaire Peter Thiel is under fire from Arizona Republicans hoping to defeat his Trump-backed protégé Blake Masters in Senate primary|work=Business Insider|date=July 17, 2022|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/peter-thiel-blake-masters-jim-lamon-arizona-senate-campaign-tech-2022-7|quote=Thiel may be more responsible than anyone else for Blake Masters' ascent in the Arizona Republican Senate primary. ... The PayPal founder and early Facebook investor has poured $13.5 million into a super PAC called "Saving Arizona" that's supporting his protégé.}}

In the Republican primary race, Masters faced state Attorney General Mark Brnovich, former Arizona National Guard Adjutant General Mick McGuire, Arizona Corporation Commissioner Justin Olson, and businessman Jim Lamon.{{cite news|first=Jonathan J.|last=Cooper|url=https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-business-florida-medicare-congress-dab58b77ce581f9e650525ec034eeec0|title=GOP Senate hopeful Lamon distances self from tax-raise plan|work=Associated Press|date=March 16, 2022}}{{cite web|first=Musadiq|last=Bidar|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/arizona-gop-senate-candidates-mark-brnovich-jim-lamon-black-masters-debate-attack-ads/|title=Arizona GOP Senate candidates hold debate as negative ads overtake airwaves|website=CBS News|date=June 24, 2022}} The Republican primary campaign was characterized by high campaign spending and a wave of negative campaign advertisements.

During a Republican primary debate, Masters said that he supported impeaching President Joe Biden and removing him from office due to border enforcement issues.{{cite news|first=Katya|last=Schwenk|url=https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/arizona-gop-senate-debate-filled-with-several-revealing-moments-13898103|title=Four Eye-Popping Moments from Arizona GOP Senate Debate|newspaper=Phoenix New Times|date=June 24, 2022}}

Masters issued non-fungible tokens (NFTs) to fundraise for his campaign, announcing that the first 99 donors to contribute over $5,800 to his campaign would receive a limited edition NFT that would allow access to a private chat server and live events, as well as a copy of his book signed by himself and Thiel.{{Cite web|last=Fuchs|first=Hailey|title=NFTs move to influence Congress, even if lawmakers have no clue what they are|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2022/01/05/fads-crypto-lobbying-politics-526538|access-date=January 7, 2022|website=Politico|date=January 5, 2022 |language=en}}{{Cite web|first=Emily|last=Brooks|title=NFTs propel Blake Masters fourth-quarter fundraising: 40% of $1.38M haul from digital tokens|url=https://gazette.com/news/nfts-propel-blake-masters-fourth-quarter-fundraising-40-of-1-38m-haul-from-digital-tokens/article_7662fc32-734c-5988-b18f-01f903e9d5aa.html|access-date=January 7, 2022|newspaper=Colorado Springs Gazette|language=en|archive-date=January 7, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220107161029/https://gazette.com/news/nfts-propel-blake-masters-fourth-quarter-fundraising-40-of-1-38m-haul-from-digital-tokens/article_7662fc32-734c-5988-b18f-01f903e9d5aa.html|url-status=dead}} Within the first 36 hours, Masters raised $575,000 for his campaign from selling NFTs.{{cite web|url=https://fortune.com/2022/01/10/arizona-gop-senate-candidate-nfts-politics-fundraising/|title=An Arizona GOP candidate raised $575,000 in 36 hours selling NFTs as politicians look to a new kind of fundraising tool|first=Marco|last=Quiroz-Gutierrez|work=Fortune|date=January 10, 2022}}

During his campaign, Masters cited the book Beautiful Losers, a collection of white supremacist writer Sam Francis' essays, as an influence on his style of conservatism.

Masters won the Republican nomination in the August 2, 2022, primary with about 40% of the vote. Jim Lamon finished second and Mark Brnovich was third.{{Cite news |last=Shivaram |first=Deepa |date=August 3, 2022 |title=Blake Masters, Trump pick funded by billionaire Thiel, wins Arizona Senate primary |language=en |work=NPR |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/2022-live-primary-election-race-results/2022/08/03/1115185686/blake-masters-trump-pick-funded-by-billionaire-thiel-wins-arizona-senate-primary |access-date=August 24, 2022}} Steven J. Law, the leader of a Republican-aligned super PAC, said that Masters "had scored the worst focus group results of any candidate he had ever seen," and cancelled all of its Arizona television advertisements supporting Masters to divert money to other races.{{Cite web|date=November 12, 2022|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/12/us/politics/midterm-elections-officials.html|title=How the 2022 Midterms Became a Squeaker|first1=Shane|last1=Goldmacher|website=The New York Times}}

In the November 8, 2022 election, Masters was defeated by Kelly by a margin of 4.9%.{{cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2022/11/11/mark-kelly-blake-masters-arizona-senate-race-results-2022-00064773|publisher=Politico|title=Dems one seat away from Senate majority as Mark Kelly wins Arizona|author=Wu, Nicholas|language=en-US|url-status=live|date=November 11, 2022|access-date=November 12, 2022|archivedate=November 12, 2022|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20221112032134/https://www.politico.com/news/2022/11/11/mark-kelly-blake-masters-arizona-senate-race-results-2022-00064773}}{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/11/08/us/elections/results-arizona-us-senate.html|title=Arizona U.S. Senate Election Results|work=The New York Times|date=November 8, 2022 |accessdate=15 November 2022}} Masters was the weakest-performing statewide Republican candidate in Arizona, receiving fewer votes than even controversial Secretary of State candidate Mark Finchem. Masters underperformed Donald Trump in Arizona in 2020 by 4.6%, despite 2022 being a more favorable year for Republicans.{{cite web|url=https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2022/11/16/23458896/republicans-senate-candidate-quality-trump|title=The GOP had terrible Senate candidates and it really did sink them|date=November 16, 2022|first1=Andrew|last1=Prokop|website=Vox}} The Washington Post published an analysis by Aaron Blake calling him one of the "worst candidates of the 2022 election."

Masters later conceded the race to Kelly. After his election loss, Masters acknowledged Republicans needed to rethink the way they run campaigns.{{cite web |url=https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-arizona-phoenix-89d6378b397f54d94a0b5141359a496a | title=Masters concedes Senate race, Hobbs celebrates governor win | website=Associated Press | date=November 15, 2022 }}

File:Blake Masters (51825428101).jpg in Florence, Arizona, 2022]]

Politico described his 2022 campaign platform as "hard-line nationalist". During his 2022 Senate campaign, Masters invoked the Great Replacement conspiracy theory, saying that Democrats "hope to just change the demographics of our country... They hope to import an entirely new electorate."{{cite web |title=Republican Senate candidates promote 'replacement' theory |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/republican-senate-candidates-promote-replacement-theory |website=PBS NewsHour |access-date=25 February 2024 |language=en-us |date=17 May 2022}}{{Cite web |date=2022-07-30 |title=Fealty to Trump defines Republican Senate primary in Arizona |url=https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-technology-presidential-arizona-2fe9856ac05cb650feb287c7a208b0bb |access-date=2024-02-24 |website=AP News |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Medina |first=Jennifer |title=Pushing an Immigration Conspiracy Theory, While Courting Latinos |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/29/us/politics/immigration-latinos-hispanic-voters.html |website=The New York Times|date=July 29, 2022 }} Masters considers himself "an America First conservative".{{cite web |last=Cooper |first=Jonathan J. |date=July 12, 2021 |title=Blake Masters launches GOP run against Sen. Kelly of Arizona |url=https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-government-and-politics-arizona-senate-elections-election-2020-e80b92e3f88b4dea032454983c8cd6fb |access-date=July 14, 2021 |work=Associated Press}}

Masters opposes abortion and has criticized Griswold v. Connecticut, the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that recognized a constitutional right to obtain contraceptives, although he has said that he does not want to outlaw contraception.{{cite web|first=Hank|last=Stephenson|url=https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2022/05/27/blake-masters-thiel-arizona-senate-profile-00034781|title=Tucker Carlson Calls Him the Future of the GOP. First He Has to Get Elected.|website=Politico|date=May 27, 2022}} Masters said that if elected to the Senate, he would vote to confirm federal judicial nominees only if they "understand that Roe and Griswold and Casey were wrongly decided".{{cite news |last1=Wang |first1=Amy B. |last2=Kitchener |first2=Caroline |date=May 16, 2022 |title=States pursue extreme restrictions in crafting post-Roe abortion law |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/05/16/abortion-republicans-supreme-court/}}

In August 2022, following the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization U.S. Supreme Court case that overruled Roe v. Wade, Masters "scrubbed" his campaign website and "softened his rhetoric" by "rewriting or erasing five of his six positions" on abortion including the removal of his "100% pro-life" text.{{cite web |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2022-election/arizona-blake-masters-backtracks-abortion-scrubs-campaign-website-rcna44808 |title=In Arizona, Blake Masters backtracks on abortion and scrubs his campaign website|website=NBC News |first1=Allan |last1=Smith |first2=Marc |last2=Caputo |date=August 25, 2022 |accessdate=August 26, 2022}} His position, as of August 2022, is that he favors "a federal personhood law that would ban abortions nationwide after the beginning of the third trimester", unless the life of the mother is at risk.{{Cite web |last=Kilgore |first=Ed |date=August 25, 2022 |title=Blake Masters Executes Huge If Sneaky Flip-Flop on Abortion |url=https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2022/08/blake-masters-executes-huge-if-sneaky-flip-flop-on-abortion.html |access-date=August 26, 2022 |website=Intelligencer |language=en-us}}

While campaigning on a talk show, Masters said the "gun violence problem" was an issue, saying, "It's gangs. It's people in Chicago, St. Louis shooting each other. Very often, you know, black people, frankly. And the Democrats don't want to do anything about that."{{cite news |last1=Jackson |first1=David |date=June 8, 2022 |title=Blake Masters, Trump-backed Senate candidate, blames 'Black people, frankly' for gun violence |newspaper=USA Today |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2022/06/08/blake-masters-trump-black-people-guns/7554317001/ |access-date=July 18, 2022}}

Masters believes in reducing the amount of legal immigration.{{cite web |date=June 2, 2022 |title=Trump backs Arizona candidate who echoes 2020 election lies |url=https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-donald-trump-peter-thiel-congress-government-and-politics-cab8d18880c23703aa04043467d4ef00 |access-date=July 18, 2022 |work=Associated Press}} He has embraced the Great Replacement conspiracy theory, asserting that Democrats want to deliberately engineer demographic replacement of American white people via immigration. In a campaign ad, he said, "We're going to end this invasion".{{Cite news |first=Joel|last=Rose|title=Talk of 'invasion' moves from the fringe to the mainstream of GOP immigration message |language=en |work=NPR |date=August 3, 2022 |url=https://www.npr.org/2022/08/03/1115175247/talk-of-invasion-moves-from-the-fringe-to-the-mainstream-of-gop-immigration-mess |access-date=August 22, 2022}}

In a statement to the New York Times, Master denied that he promotes the Great Replacement theory, saying that "It is obvious to everyone that Democrats see illegal immigrants as future voters. No 'theory' is needed to observe that."

Masters has echoed Donald Trump's claims that the 2020 presidential election was "stolen".{{cite news |last1=Cooper |first1=Jonathan J. |last2=Colvin |first2=Jill |date=June 3, 2022 |title=Trump backs Arizona candidate who echoes 2020 election lies |newspaper=The Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2022-06-03/trump-backs-arizona-candidate-who-echoes-2020-lies}} In June 2021, Masters said that "it's really hard to know" the winner of the 2020 presidential election, and supported an audit of the vote in Maricopa County.{{Cite web |last1=Rogers |first1=Alex |last2=Warren |first2=Michael |date=July 17, 2021 |title=2020 election becomes early dividing line for Republicans in crucial 2022 Senate race in Arizona |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/17/politics/2022-arizona-senate-race/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210717122639/https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/17/politics/2022-arizona-senate-race/index.html |archive-date=July 17, 2021 |access-date=July 19, 2021 |website=CNN}} In a November 2021 campaign ad, Masters stated he thought "Trump won in 2020". He appeared at a fundraiser with the former president at Mar-a-Lago shortly afterward.{{cite web |last=Goldman |first=Samuel |date=November 10, 2021 |title=Blake Masters is betting Republicans won't notice he didn't quite endorse election fraud claims |url=https://theweek.com/talking-points/1006992/blake-masters-disgraceful-video |work=The Week}} Trump endorsed his candidacy in June 2022.{{Cite web|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/580390-trump-to-attend-fundraiser-for-arizona-gop-senate-candidate|title=Trump to attend fundraiser for Arizona GOP Senate candidate|first=Tal|last=Axelrod|date=November 6, 2021|website=The Hill}}

In August 2022, CNN reported that Masters had removed text from his campaign website that "included the false claim that the 2020 election was stolen from former President Donald Trump, along with a section arguing the country would be better off if Trump was still the president."

In March 2022, when Masters was asked by a podcast interviewer to name an "underrated subversive thinker", he named Ted Kaczynski. While clarifying that he did not endorse Kaczynski’s bombings, Masters said that Industrial Society and Its Future, the domestic terrorist’s manifesto, contained "a lot of [correct] insight".{{Cite web |last=Hansen |first=Ronald |date=August 4, 2022 |title=Who is Blake Masters? Here's what to know about the Arizona Republican |url=https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/arizona/2022/08/04/who-blake-masters-republican-candidate-running-senate/10231501002/ |access-date=2024-02-26 |website=The Arizona Republic |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Weaver |first=Al |date=2022-09-25 |title=Arizona outlook turns bleak for Masters, GOP |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/3658845-arizona-outlook-turns-bleak-for-masters-gop/ |access-date=2024-02-26 |website=The Hill |language=en-US}} An Arizona-based GOP strategist told The Hill that the "Ted Kaczynski gaffe" was partly responsible for Master's falling poll numbers.

In August 2021, Masters called for new leadership in the U.S. Armed Forces due to perceived partisan leanings, saying "I would love to see all the generals get fired. You take the most conservative colonels, you promote them to general."{{cite news |last1=Joseph |first1=Cameron |date=September 15, 2022 |title=Blake Masters Wants to Fire All Generals and Replace Them With Conservatives |website=Vice News |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/blake-masters-military-generals-conservatives/ }}

Masters opposes American aid to Ukraine.

Masters has suggested privatizing Social Security, but has opposed cuts and in August 2022 indicated support for increases to the program.{{cite news |last=Hansen |first=Ronald J. |date=June 24, 2022 |title=Arizona Republican Senate debate features digs on Blake Masters, Mark Brnovich |url=https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/elections/2022/06/24/arizona-republican-senate-debate-blake-masters-mark-brnovich/7708050001/ |newspaper=Arizona Republic}}

Meeting with conservative Tea Party activists in March 2022, Masters questioned whether the FBI was involved in the January 6 United States Capitol attack.{{cite news |last1=Rogers |first1=Alex |last2=Raju |first2=Manu |date=June 8, 2022 |title=Audio shows Trump-endorsed Arizona Senate candidate questioned whether January 6 attack was set up by FBI |website=CNN |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2022/06/08/politics/blake-masters-january-6-comments/index.html |author-link2=Manu Raju}}

Although Masters has invested in several technology firms, he frequently criticizes Big Tech.{{cite news |last=Metz |first=Sam |date=June 9, 2022 |title=Big Tech attacks become rallying cry for GOP candidates |work=Associated Press |url=https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-twitter-inc-technology-reno-nevada-d4814871d69a3dba034cafa09af56ea7}} He supported Elon Musk's proposed acquisition of Twitter, called for legislation to treat major social media companies as "common carriers" and to regulate Google's search algorithm.

Masters has called for a "federal Bitcoin reserve".

{{See also|2024 United States House of Representatives elections in Arizona}}

In October 2023, Masters announced that he would run for the seat in Arizona's 8th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2024, a few days after incumbent Debbie Lesko announced she would not run for re-election. Masters lost the Republican primary to Abe Hamadeh, coming in second.

Masters opined in July 2024: "Political leaders should have children. Certainly they should at least be married", so that they can "relate to a constituency of families, or govern wisely with respect to future generations"; Masters said this three months after criticizing his Republican primary rival Abe Hamadeh as a politician "we don't need" for having "no wife and kids, no skin in the game".{{cite news |last1=Senter |first1=Irie |title=Blake Masters: 'Political leaders should have children' |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2024/07/25/blake-masters-political-leaders-children-00171216 |access-date=July 30, 2024 |work=Politico |date=July 25, 2024}}

Donald Trump initially did not endorse Masters in the primary, instead supporting Hamadeh, an unsuccessful candidate for Arizona attorney general in 2022.{{cite web |last1=Fernandez |first1=Madison |title=Internal polling shows Hamadeh with early lead in race to replace Lesko |url=https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2023/12/20/congress/new-arizona-poll-00132708 |website=POLITICO |access-date=23 February 2024 |language=en |date=20 December 2023}} Masters caused controversy during the 2024 campaign for referring to Hamadeh, who identifies his faith as both Druze and Muslim, as a "terrorist sympathizer."{{Cite web |last=Metzger |first=Bryan |title=The Arizona primary where the MAGA movement is devouring itself |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/abe-hamadeh-blake-masters-primary-arizona-trump-2024-6 |access-date=2024-07-29 |website=Business Insider |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Kurson |first=Ken |date=2024-06-16 |title=Scoop: Instagrammer sends Abe Hamadeh hate mail |url=https://arizonaglobe.com/u-s-congress/instagrammer-sends-abe-hamadeh-hate-mail/ |access-date=2024-07-29 |website=Arizona Globe |language=en-US}} Masters' attack ads showed Hamadeh in Saudi Arabia, where he was stationed while serving in the U.S. Army.{{Cite web |last=Martin |first=Sabine |title=Congressional candidates Abe Hamadeh's and Blake Masters' rivalry gets ugly with attack ads |url=https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/06/12/blake-masters-abe-hamadeh-trade-barbs-in-campaign-ads/74021598007/ |access-date=2024-07-29 |website=The Arizona Republic |language=en-US}} Trump later endorsed both Hamadeh and Masters in July, aligning with his running mate JD Vance's support for Masters.{{Cite web |date=2024-07-28 |title=Trump endorses 2 candidates in competitive Arizona Republican primary |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/trump-endorses-2-candidates-competitive-arizona-republican-primary-rcna163997 |access-date=2024-07-29 |website=NBC News |language=en}}

Masters and his wife, Catherine Blanton, married in 2012.{{Cite web |date=2012-04-15 |title=Cat and I got married on Saturday! |url=https://blakemasters.tumblr.com/post/20847852954/cat-and-i-got-married-on-saturday |access-date=2024-03-29 |archive-date=April 15, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120415151231/https://blakemasters.tumblr.com/post/20847852954/cat-and-i-got-married-on-saturday |url-status=dead }} They have four sons.{{Cite news |title=Blake Masters - AZ MAGA |url=https://azmaga.republican/blake-masters/ |access-date=2024-08-19 |work=AZ MAGA |language=en-US}} Masters is Catholic.{{Cite web |last=Kassel |first=Matthew |date=September 30, 2022 |title=Blake Masters: 'Israel's future is tied to our elections' |url=https://jewishinsider.com/2022/09/blake-masters-arizona-senate-israel-position-paper/ |access-date=October 28, 2022 |website=Jewish Insider |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Hansen |first=Ronald J. |title=Blake Masters' campaign website replaces stark abortion views with softer message |url=https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/arizona/2022/08/25/blake-masters-campaign-site-replaces-pro-life-message-abortion-limits/7897270001/ |access-date=October 28, 2022 |website=The Arizona Republic |language=en-US}}

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