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The Arizona Senate Race: The Most Expensive In Arizona History

The race to fill the Senate seat vacated by Jeff Flake is looking to be one of the most expensive in Arizona history. The two major candidates have raised a total of $28.6 million as of September.

According to the Federal Election Commission, the Democratic candidate, Kyrsten Sinema, has raised $16 million, and the Republican candidate, Martha McSally, has raised $12.6 million.

According to the FEC, Sinema still has $2.1 million to use toward her campaign, while McSally has $3.3 million. These amounts do not include campaign amounts spent by other groups, which is in the tens of millions.


“The fact that these Senate candidates have gotten to this level is shocking and speaks to the stakes, both in the state and for the country, in terms of this particular race,” says Jason Rose, a political consultant.

According to an analyst from Inside election, Leah Askarinam, the two candidates have “been strong fundraisers and they’ll both have the resources that they need.”

A national poll, RealClear Politics, reveals that it is a tossup between McSally and Sinema, with McSally receiving  46 percent of the vote and Sinema 45.3 percent.

“It’s definitely one of the closest races in the country,” Askarinam said. “What you’re seeing right now is McSally trying to activate the Trump Republican base, and kind of hoping that the extra boost in enthusiasm will push her over the edge, especially in a state that Donald Trump carried in 2016.”

However, McSally may be winded from a grueling primary, which Sinema did not have to endure. 

“McSally came in with a bit of a disadvantage in that she had a primary that she had to focus on and Sinema did not,” Askarinam said. “So McSally couldn’t immediately respond to some of the criticism.”

“Sinema was basically able to define herself without facing too many attacks while the Republican primary was taking place.”

According to Brendan Quinn, an outreach manager with the Center for Responsive Politics, conservative groups are spending more money on the race than liberal groups. The center’s website reveals that $18.6 million has been used to promote McSally, and $16.5 million was spent for Sinema.

Quinn has also revealed that both candidates have received more money from out-of-state donors than in-state donors, which is not a surprise due to it being a high-profile race.