GOP Mega-Donor Peter Thiel Calls J.D. Vance Race ‘Done,’ Moves to Tip the Scale for Blake Masters: Report
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GOP mega-donor Peter Thiel believes Republican Ohio Senate candidate J.D. Vance will defeat his Democratic rival Tim Ryan and intends to open up his wallet for Blake Masters in Arizona.
Masters is trailing Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) according to polling, and so Thiel will presumably allocate significant resources to help him make up ground.
CNBC reported:
Thiel told guests at a recent Masters fundraising event that he believes Vance is on track to win his Senate race against Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, according to those who attended the gathering and overheard his comments. The GOP donor hosted the fundraiser at his $5 million home in Los Angeles.
“Peter said, ‘That race [Ohio Senate] is done in my mind,’” according to one of the people familiar with Thiel’s conversations with attendees. Vance and Ryan are vying for retiring Republican Sen. Rob Portman’s seat in Ohio, a swing state where Republicans have enjoyed increased success in recent years.
Thiel reportedly added, “We just have to get Blake over the finish line.”
CNBC, citing data from AdImpact, reported an estimated $100 million has been spent on the Ohio Senate race. Up to $120 million has been spent on the race in Arizona.
According to a recent poll released by the Arizona Republic, Masters trails Kelly 42% to 49%. Seven percent of voters said they were undecided while Masters trails Kelly with independent voters 36% to 51%.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) recently decided to cancel nearly $10 million in TV ads for Masters. Recent news coverage over the past few months has repeatedly reported on battles between McConnell and Thiel over who should spend the millions of dollars needed to fund the final stretch of Masters’ campaign.
In August, McConnell complained about “candidate quality” after he was asked about the GOP’s chances of taking the Senate in November. The comment was widely perceived as a shot at Masters and other candidates who are backed by former President Donald Trump.
