If Thiel does aspire to become the next Republican kingmaker, he'll first need to put wins on the electoral map, said University of Virginia political scientist Larry Sabato. Right now, the candidate most visibly associated with Thiel this cycle, Vance, has been struggling. "If Vance loses," said Sabato, "it will not reflect well on Thiel. Thiel is doing more than giving him money; he's clearly giving him a lot of advice."