The comments by Masters in a debate with Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), whom he trails in the polls, marked a stark shift from a campaign ad last year, in which the Republican said, “I think Trump won in 2020.” But even as Masters sought to de-emphasize that position, he groundlessly claimed the federal government “forced” big tech companies to censor information that would have propelled Donald Trump to victory.
Clashing at the first and perhaps only debate in a battleground Senate race that will help determine control of the chamber next year, Masters and Kelly often geared their pitches toward moderate voters. Masters, a first-time candidate and venture capitalist, has consistently lagged Kelly, a former astronaut, in polls and fundraising, showing particular weakness with political independents.
