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Even as one major Republican super PAC ditches the airwaves in Arizona's Senate race, voters in the state are still being bombarded with ads in the closely-watched race between Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly and Republican nominee Blake Masters.
Most of the ads up now are funded by Democrats, who have massively outspent Republicans on the air in this race since the August 2 primary.
Kelly has spent almost $15 million since August 3, while Masters has spent only $1.3 million in the same time frame.
Senate Democrats’ campaign arm has spent $8.7 million since August 3 in Arizona’s Senate race, while Senate Republicans’ campaign arm has spent $3 million.
In spending reserved through Election Day, Democrats are also outpacing Republicans. The Democratic Senate Majority PAC has over $20 million worth of ad spending booked through November 8, while the group that has reserved the most on the Republican side, Sentinel Action Fund, has reserved almost $3 million in the same time period.
This week, voters across the state are only seeing one ad boosting Masters, according to AdImpact, an ad tracking firm. At the same time, viewers are seeing three positive ads about Kelly, three negative ads about Kelly and six negative ads about Masters. Two of the anti-Masters ads are narrated in Spanish.
Many of the anti-Masters ads focus on his previous comments about the military and Social Security.
One Kelly ad features a group voters, including veterans, crowding around a phone to watch a video where Masters says, "our military leadership is totally incompetent."
"I'm offended," one of the veterans in the room says after watching the video.
A separate ad, funded by two outside groups, Senate Majority PAC and Vote Vets, features a veteran blasting Masters' position on abortion.
"No abortions? Even in the case of rape and incest? That kind of extremism and government control is the opposite of what we fought for," the veteran says.
She adds, "That's un-American."
The pro-Masters ad was funded by the super PAC Saving Arizona and claims, "it’s a clear choice for Arizona," in favor of Masters.
The negative ads about Kelly focus on his closeness to President Joe Biden.
One ad, funded by Senate Republicans' campaign arm, features a narrator saying, "Mark Kelly gave Joe Biden all power in Washington -- Senate, White House, Congress -- and it’s wrecking our country."
Another, funded by the Sentinel Action Fund, attacks Kelly on crime, education and immigration.
