Arizona Senate Candidate Courts Moderate Voters in Late-Campaign Pivot

Arizona’s Senate candidates are looking to sway voters to their side and appeal to moderates in a state that’s been more purple than red in the past two elections.
As part of this endeavor, Arizona’s current Senator, Mark Kelly, squared off against Republican challenger and political newcomer Blake Masters in a contentious debate that saw the candidates answering questions on inflation, the border, abortion, election integrity, and President Joe Biden.
Republican U.S. senatorial candidate Blake Masters speaks during his election night watch party in Chandler, Ariz., on Aug. 2, 2022. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
Masters has taken a hard-core Trump supporter stance in the past, while Kelly has continually courted moderates by highlighting his willingness to work across the aisle. But the Oct. 6 debate saw Masters softening his stance on issues like abortion and election integrity and blasting Kelly as a far-left candidate, not a moderate, by pointing to his partisan voting record….