21: U.S. Congressional candidate Blake Masters (R-AZ-8)

U.S. Congressional candidate Blake Masters (R-AZ-8) joined the Grand Canyon Times podcast to discuss his race. Masters is one of four candidates currently running in the Republican primary to represent the 8th Congressional District.

The district is currently represented by U.S. Rep. Debbie Lesko (R), who announced last year that she will be retiring at the end of the current term.

Following is a summary of this episode:

• Trump Endorsement: Masters discussed his endorsement by former President Donald Trump in his 2022 Senate race. He said President Trump endorsed him because Masters was "strong on the border."
• Border Security: Masters advocated for stringent border security, criticizing what he said are the Biden Adminstration's "open border" policies. He said he supports finishing the border wall, empowering border patrol, and deporting millions of illegal immigrants, saying that border security is the most crucial issue in his campaign and for the country.
• Economic Policies and Big Tech Regulation: Masters said we had economic growth and low inflation under President Trump, attributing it to the former president's pro-business policies. Masters also said there is a need to regulate Big Tech companies to prevent them from manipulating elections and infringing on free speech, drawing from his experience in the tech industry.
• Chinese Ownership of U.S. Farmland: Masters said that Chinese ownership of Arizona farmland should not be allowed.

Masters ran for U.S. Senate in 2022, losing to incumbent U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly (D) by a vote of 51.4% to 46.5%. Kelly reportedly outspent Masters by $66 million in that race.

After growing up and attending high school in Tucson, Masters graduated from Stanford University and received his J.D. from Stanford Law School. He then co-founded legal research startup Judicata.

He is co-author of the bestselling business book, "Zero to One: Notes on a Startup" with Peter Thiel, and served as president of the Thiel Foundation. Masters married his wife, Catherine, in 2012 and they have three sons.