The Senate Leadership Fund (SLF), the Mitch McConnell-aligned Super PAC is reportedly canceling the $9.6 million it reserved for television ads in Arizona’s U.S. Senate race.
Axios reported that McConnell’s group is “confident” other conservative groups would cover much of the difference in spending to help out Blake Masters, the Republican nominee in the state. The group has already spent $9.6 million on television ads in the state, while outside groups had reportedly already spent up $7.5 million.
Despite the multi-million dollar ad buy being cut, Punchbowl News reported that McConnell is hosting a fundraiser for Masters on Wednesday, which would be the second time the minority leader has held something for Masters.
However, the spending cancelation means that the largest Senate Republican-aligned Super PAC will not spend any money in the state, which is considered one of the most watched races in the country, as Masters will go up against incumbent Democrat Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ).
Other Republican-leaning Super PACs’ contribution in the race are:
- Sentinel Action Fund, which has connections to Heritage Action for America super PAC, will be spending $3.5 million on television ads and another $1.5 million on voter outreach, Politico reported.
- Saving Arizona, a pro-Masters Super PAC backed by billionaire Peter Thiel, is spending $1.68 million to help boost the candidate.
- An ad tracker also reported that Trump-affiliated super PAC Our American Century would be spending $1 million, the National Republican Senatorial Committee would be spending $887,000, the Club for Growth would be spending $330,000, and Restoration PAC would be spending $100,000.
In response to SLF pulling their money out, SLF president Steven Law told Axios, “We’re glad to see Republican outside forces showing up in a big way in Arizona, with millions in new spending pledged to take down Mark Kelly in the final stretch.”
Law noted that this would give the group more funds to allocate to other places in the country to help candidates in Georgia, New Hampshire, and Nevada. “This allows us to pursue offensive opportunities, maximize our investment in existing commitments, and concentrate our efforts to win the Senate majority,” Law added.
On Sunday, the Trafalgar Group released a poll showing Masters just 1.2 percentage points behind Kelly. Of the 1,080 likely voter respondents, 45.4 percent say they support Masters, compared to the 46.6 percent who said they support Kelly. There were another 5.3 percent who were undecided, and only 2.7 percent planned to vote for Marc Victor, a Libertarian.
Jacob Bliss is a reporter for Breitbart News. Write to him at jbliss@breitbart.com or follow him on Twitter @JacobMBliss.
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