Mark Kelly defeats Blake Masters in Arizona Senate race

Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) is projected to win reelection to the Senate, defeating Republican Blake Masters in one of the preeminent battleground contests on the midterm map this year and putting Democrats one step closer to securing their majority.

Kelly, who is completing the final two years of the late Sen. John McCain’s (R-Ariz.) term, held a steady lead over Masters, a protege of PayPal founder Peter Thiel, since the early August primary, though his lead slimmed in the final weeks.

His ultimate victory is a key hold for Senate Democrats as they await the results of Senate races in Nevada, which is undergoing a similarly drawn-out counting process, and Georgia, which has gone to a Dec. 6 runoff. It also marks a defeat of one of the most closely watched candidates elevated by former President Trump.