Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* Tech billionaire Peter Thiel had previously indicated that he wouldn’t make any additional investments in this year’s midterm elections, but The Washington Post reported that he’s now planning to spend an additional $5 million to support Blake Masters’ Senate campaign in Arizona. Thiel already poured $15 million into a super PAC to advance Masters’ ambitions.
* On a related note, the latest Fox 10 Phoenix/Insider Advantage poll in Arizona found incumbent Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly with a small lead over Masters, 46% to 42%.
* In Arizona’s gubernatorial race, the same poll showed far-right Republican Kari Lake leading Democratic Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, 49% to 46%.
* With 25 days remaining in the election cycle, Reuters published a new report documenting “multiple incidents of intimidation involving an expanding army of election observers, many of them recruited by prominent Republican Party figures and activists echoing Trump’s false theories about election fraud.”
* American Crossroads, which used to be a powerhouse super PAC for Republicans, hasn’t played as prominent a role this year, but it’s nevertheless poised to spend more than $4 million to boost Mehmet Oz’s Senate campaign in Pennsylvania. * In Florida, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis is making it easier for voters to cast ballots in three southwestern Florida counties affected by Hurricane Ian. The fact that these counties are considered GOP strongholds has led to criticisms that he’s “politicizing a natural disaster.” * The latest Marist poll in New York found Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul leading Republican Rep. Lee Zeldin, 51% to 41%. That may sound like a big lead, but other recent polling has found the incumbent governor with a larger advantage. * How do we know for sure that Oklahoma’s gubernatorial race is becoming more competitive? Incumbent Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt this week launched his first attack ad targeting Democrat Joy Hofmeister.
Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past."
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