TEMPE, Ariz. — Blake Masters can claim little credit for Republicans’ Arizona comeback — but he is reaping thebenefits, propelling him back into contention for a key Senate seat some in the GOP once wrote off.

Voters’ dissatisfaction with President Joe Biden’s job performance and a strong campaign from gubernatorial nominee Kari Lake have helped Masters close most of the gap with Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly. What we once described as a “Lean Democratic” race in POLITICO’s Election Forecast is now a “Toss Up,” meaning neither Kelly nor Masters has a significant advantage in the contest.

The Senate race joins the Arizona governor’s race in that category, with Lake running neck-and-neck — or narrowly in front of — Democrat Katie Hobbs in the polls, allaying any Republican fears that the first-time candidate endorsed by former President Donald Trump would flame out in the general election.

In putting Arizona back on the board, Republicans have broadened their path to the Senate majority. It’s now one of five “Toss Up” races, joining Georgia, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

If Republicans can hold Pennsylvania (where Democrats are sweating John Fetterman’s shaky debate performance Tuesday night) and Wisconsin (where GOP Sen. Ron Johnson has opened up a lead in some polls), they can likely flip control of the Senate by ousting only one of Democrats’ most-vulnerable incumbents: Kelly and Sens. Raphael Warnock (Ga.) and Catherine Cortez Masto (Nev.).

Kelly’s shrinking lead — most polls continue to show the Democrat ahead, but by smaller and smaller margins — has little to do with Masters, who is widely seen as running an underfunded and uninspired campaign. Democrats have swamped the GOP candidate on the airwaves, though Masters has received some late backup, mostly from conservative groups seen as ideological fellow travelers.

But Masters is being buoyed by the electoral environment and relative strength at the top of the ticket. While it’s true that Kelly and Lake are running stronger campaigns than their opponents, Lake and Masters are running as more of a ticket than the Democrats. Billboards and yard signs dotted around the Phoenix metro area read “VOTE LAKE & BLAKE.” And at Lake’s well-attended campaign events, she often shouts out her the Senate candidate in her stump speech.

Kari Lake greets the audience during a stop on her Ask Me Anything Tour at American Way Market on September 20, 2022 in Chandler, Arizona.