Since Donald Trump made his glorious ride down the golden escalators to announce his 2016 bid for the White House, there has been a battle waging for the heart and soul of the Republican Party.
Voters are seeing that battle play out still six-years later in the 2022 Midterm election cycle.
And in this battleground state on the southern border, MAGA candidates are pulling ahead.
Who is the MAGA Candidate in Arizona?
Donald Trump has compiled an impressive record in his involvement in the 2022 primaries.
So far, candidates endorsed by the 45th President of the United States have won 110 primary races, compared to just seven losses.
That’s a winning percentage of 94%.
In the Arizona GOP Senate primary, political outsider Blake Master is the newly-minted Trump-endorsed candidate.
Masters is a businessman and successful author who is running on an America First agenda – specifically running as tough on border security in one of the states most negatively impacted by President Joe Biden’s crisis on the southern border.
Border Security proving to be a winning issue
The Trump-backed candidate started way behind three bigger names in the race – however, he’s surging ahead of the rapidly approaching August 2 primary.
According to the latest polling from Trafalgar Group, Masters has jumped 10-points in a little more than a month.
Masters now sits in first place in the race, at 29%.
In late April’s Trafalgar survey, Masters had just 19% and was in third place.
Staying completely flat in the polling is Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich – who both in the last poll and in the most recent one, is in second place with 24%, just 5-points behind Masters.
Like Masters, AG Brnovich has centered his campaign largely on fighting back against President Biden’s failed border policies.
In fact, Brnovich has filed multiple lawsuits against the Biden administration.
Moderates falling behind
Meanwhile, Army veteran and businessman Jim Lamon, has taken a decidedly different approach.
He’s decided to run in the Chamber of Commerce establishment lane in the primary.
And for a time, it appeared to be working.
Lamon started just as low in the polling as Masters, however, his large campaign war chest purchased him the first-place position in the late April polling, with 25%, just edging out AG Brnovich, and 6-points ahead of Masters.
However, Lamon’s star has faded fast in the past month and a half.
He’s fallen to a distant third place, now registering just 17% support from respondents.
General Mick McGuire started the race as one of the frontrunners, along with Brnovich.
However, his numbers have consistently declined over the months – and he now is garnering a mere 4% in the polling.
Gen. McGuire has agreed with Trump immigration policies, including finishing the border wall, however, his message on the topic hasn’t captured Arizona primary voters in the same way Masters and Brnovich’s messaging has.
Who will move on to November?
The winner of the primary will face vulnerable Democrat incumbent Sen. Mark Kelly in the general election in November.
The race is considered by political analysts to be one of the most competitive toss ups in the country, and could decide control of the U.S. Senate.
