“To Blake: If you’re reading this, even though you have abandoned our values, we will not let you diminish our community.”
Some of Blake Masters’ former classmates, teachers, and fellow alumni from Tucson have condemned him in an open letter, citing his extremist ideology.
Masters, the Republican nominee for US Senate, was endorsed by former President Donald Trump after he claimed in early campaign ads that he believed “The Big Lie”—that Trump won the 2020 election.
In the letter, Masters’ former classmates, teachers, and other alumni from Green Fields Country Day School described him as a bright teenager who was always ready to debate but never crossed any lines.
“Blake was always ambitious, but he was also kind,” the letter said.
The Blake Masters running for office today was described in the letter as barely recognizable.
“He peddles extremist ideology–attacking veterans, calling abortion ‘demonic,’ being endorsed by Neo-Nazis, blaming gun violence on ‘Black people, frankly,’ and that’s just the tip of the iceberg,’ the open letter states.
The alumni and teachers said in the letter that they never expected to write a letter to Arizonans to tell people not to elect their former classmate, student, and friend. They also said they are deeply grieved to see the Blake they knew for two decades become a dangerous politician.
“He is beholden to a power-hungry billionaire and his radical ideology,” the group wrote, referencing Masters’ ties to Peter Thiel. “[Masters] wants to outlaw abortion nationally, privatize Social Security, and rip away the fundamental rights of others — women, people of color, and members of the LGBTQ community.”
The letter was signed by 75 different people.
Masters graduated from Green Fields Country Day School in 2004 as one of 24 students.
While the letter was addressed to Arizonans, students and alumni from Green Fields made a plea directly to Masters at the end of it.
“To Blake: If you’re reading this, even though you have abandoned our values, we will not let you diminish our community,” it said. “We will continue standing together, without you.”
Looking for the latest Arizona news? Sign up for our FREE daily newsletter.
Robert Gundran Robert Gundran grew up in the Southwest, spending equal time in the Valley and Southern California throughout his life. He graduated from Arizona State University's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism in 2018 and wrote for The Arizona Republic and The Orange County Register.
