As Democratic candidates in a few battleground states now see their leads slipping ahead of the midterms, Arizona's Senate election stands out as one that could very well tip the body's balance in either party's favor. FiveThirtyEight notes that incumbent Sen. Mark Kelly (D–Ariz.) is currently polling at 48.4 percent compared to Republican candidate Blake Masters' 46.8 percent.
That puts Kelly, a veteran and former astronaut elected in 2020 to fill Republican Sen. John McCain's seat, and Masters, a first-time candidate and former Thiel Capital COO backed by former President Donald Trump, at their closest numbers since July. Though their backgrounds and political positions have seemingly little in common, either one winning Arizona's Senate race will displease supporters of small government and individual freedom.
