Last week, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (or DSCC) ramped up campaigning efforts against Blake Masters, as they ran a series of advertisements in Spanish lambasting the Trump-endorsed Senate candidate. 

“¿Qué sabemos de Blake Masters? (What do we know about Blake Masters?)” is the ad’s header, and the first question to viewers: “Mira por ti mismo (See for yourself),” the ad continued. 

A clip of Masters is rolled: “Maybe we should privatize Social Security,” as the tail end of the ad’s introduction. The excerpt belongs to FreedomWorks in a debate, where he advocates for a policy measure that is highly unpopular among Americans.

Latino Rebels reported the commercial is part of a three-pronged campaign — two TV commercials, one Radio — to reach Spanish-speaking Arizonans, ramping up Democratic efforts to dampen GOP support in the state. 

In a second ad, Masters calls abortion a “religious sacrifice,” alluding to a recent SCOTUS ruling that overturned abortion protections at the federal level. 

Masters, a wealthy venture capitalist, has been a rising figure among crowds of MAGA supporters who lean toward Trump’s ideologically-driven agenda, and he’s not alone. Primaries across the U.S. served as a litmus test for aspiring GOP candidates, where mostly Trump-endorsed nominees have secured victories. 

His campaign was mostly financed by Peter Thiel, the owner of an investment firm where Masters served as its top executive. Thiel contributed upwards of $15 million to Master’s bid. 

Latinos in Arizona don’t vote as much- but they’re a key demographic

Arizona is the U.S. state with the sixth-largest Hispanic population. According to a 2016 study conducted by Pew Research Center, there were 992,000 eligible voters. In 2022, that figure rose to 1.2 million in 2022, making them a key demographic for dead-heat races. 

Historically, candidates use very limited spending to reach Latino voters, but that may quickly shift. Last week, Republicans purchased an ad buy targeting Sen. Mark Kelly and grilled him over inflation and voter security. 

Increased programming to reach the Latino vote signal growing concerns among both parties, who have historically undermined their ballot power. 

In Arizona’s legislative chambers, these concerns are addressed in troubling policies. Currently, there are three bills floating in the House, with one set to become law in September. All measures include punishing restrictions for transient and non-English speaking voters. 

All three of the bills were legally contested by several organizations. 

“Politicians in Arizona have piled obstacles in front of the voting booth simply because they don’t like the kinds of voters who want to participate in our elections,” said Maria Teresa Kumar, President, and CEO of Voto Latino, in a statement.

Blake Masters has not responded to the recent messaging efforts.