Well, here’s a twist. I’m guessing he read the tea leaves…or realized what a disservice to the state he was doing. YMMV

NYT: Arizona Libertarian Senate candidate Marc Victor announces he is dropping out and endorsing Blake Mastershttps://t.co/yNbiStaBT6

— InteractivePolls (@IAPolls2022) November 1, 2022

Marc Victor has been a criminal defense attorney for 28 years, and maintained his law practice while running for the senate in the three-way race against GOP nominee Blake Masters and incumbent Democrat Mark Kelly. According to an October 26 Fox10 Phoenix poll, his number was coming in at about 6% and competitive, that is not.

A Phoenix ABC affiliate had him at even less.

When you’re burning through your own cha-ching for the most part, pulling the plug is a mercy at some point.

What impact this really late withdrawal and endorsement will have on the race itself is anyone’s guess. A quick perusal of various counties around the state shows most early voting started on the 11th or 12 of October, and this fellow’s name is still on the ballot. I’m not sure how they handle that. Remains to be seen if this will make difference, but he did endorse Masters and clear the field.

In other AZ news that’s been flying under the radar, it sounds as if there has been a bit of a battle brewing in yet another solidly Democratic district. It’s the redrawn AZ-04, with its incumbent representative Democrat Greg Stanton in a bit of trouble…

New borders in what has been a Democrat-friendly district in the suburbs east of Phoenix will be a test for U.S. Rep. Greg Stanton, who cruised to victory in the previous two elections but is having to battle this year.

…As early ballots hit mailboxes this week, the redrawn 4th District (formerly the 9th) that covers parts of Tempe, Chandler and Mesa still leans Democratic on the competitive metrics used by the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission. But as one of three Arizona districts where Republicans hope to pick up seats in a midterm election year, Stanton faces a tougher challenge.

…against local restauranteur and Marine veteran Kelly Cooper.

Kelly Cooper is a Marine Corps veteran, owner of two Melting Pot restaurant franchise locations and co-owner of BKD’s Backyard Joint.

As a first-time candidate, Cooper is the founder and chairman of the Maricopa County Republican Veterans Committee. His experience has helped him to “identify the needs of our community and where needed feed that information to both the state legislators as well as the federal Senators and Congress people for action,” according to his campaign website.

This is a first-rate campaign video by Kelly Cooper. Shot IN one of his restaurants (BKD’s Backyard Joint), using order tickets, food/supply costs, and analogies about managing those who work for you, he paints a clear picture of where the ruling party (by extension, the sitting Congressman who enables such things) have failed in their first duty – to serve and answer to their constituents. Again, addressing the kitchen table issues these new Republicans have been hammering away on Dems with so successfully.

And to her great credit, gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake is doing her dangedest to pull every last one of Arizona’s Republican candidates up with her, using that major star wattage to get some light to shine on their down-ticket races. That woman is the ultimate TEAM player. Kudos, girlfriend – I LOVE it.

.@KellyCooperAZ: "We don't need more Joe Biden. We need more conscious, conservative representatives that are going to bring us back to the America we all recognize!" pic.twitter.com/8Nh24iqWH9

— Kari Lake (@KariLake) October 29, 2022

This race “leans” D and the uber-liberal AZ Central is doing everything it can to emphasize Cooper’s Trump endorsement as negatively as possible, also insisting that it’s a “purple” district, where abortion really will matter as an issue.

…While Coughlin said that Cooper is running a good campaign and is going after Stanton’s legislative voting record, he says that Ahwatukee Foothills, west Mesa and Tempe, which are all located in the district, have gone strongly Democratic over the past couple of election cycles.

Coughlin says that the district also contains the “big purple corridor” that Sinema, Kelly and Biden have all won.

The “purple corridor,” he says, is “everything adjacent to the (Loop) 101, west Mesa, south Tempe and west Chandler.” He says this area, which has seen a jump in income, values education and places more importance on problem solving than “ideology.”

…Coughlin said abortion is an important issue in that district.

“The reproductive rights issue, I think, is going to play heavily in that district because you have a lot of suburban women who are accustomed to having their rights and they don’t want to have them taken away,” he said.

With abortion rights on the ballot, the three key areas that trend Democratic and the “purple corridor,” Coughlin says he would be “really surprised” if Cooper did well election…night

I guess people who support abortions don’t have to buy gas or food, keep the lights on or worry about illegals and crime. Good for them! Must be nice.

I hope the quoted expert IS “really surprised” on Election Night. That would be great.