GOP megadonor Peter Thiel to host fundraiser for Arizona Senate candidate Blake Masters

A Real Clear Politics poll shows Vance leading over House Rep. Tim Ryan by just over 2 points in the bid for retiring Sen. Rob Portman’s GOP seat. Masters, meanwhile, is behind incumbent Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., by almost 3 points. Masters and Vance have been endorsed by former President Donald Trump. Either race could determine control of the U.S. Senate with Democrats holding 50 seats and Vice President Kamala Harris breaking any tie votes.

Masters’ campaign, which has raised just $4.9 million, needs more money to fight Kelly, who’s outraised him by more than tenfold with $54 million in donations.

Republican leaders and campaign officials, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., have reportedly asked Thiel to help Vance and Masters in the general election. The Washington Post reported that Thiel initially rebuffed McConnell’s requests.

“Not now,” has been the response from Thiel and his team in recent weeks when asked for more donations for Vance or Masters, according to a person briefed on the matter

Thiel, however, was a featured guest at a recent fundraiser for Masters at the Florida home of Keith Rabois, a general partner in the venture capital firm Founders Fund, which was co-founded by Thiel. Businessman Tom Sauer, who tweeted out a photo of Thiel speaking at the Rabois fundraiser, is also listed as a co-host for the fundraiser at Thiel’s home.

Those who spoke to CNBC about Thiel’s maneuvers did so on the condition of anonymity in order to speak freely about private conversations.

Vance and Masters both worked with Thiel before they launched their Senate campaigns. Vance once worked at investment firm Mithril Capital, which was co-founded by Thiel, while Masters was chief operating officer at Thiel Capital.

Article source: https://www.cnbc.com/2022/09/20/gop-megadonor-peter-thiel-to-host-fundraiser-for-arizona-senate-candidate-blake-masters.html