Utilities fund Republican campaigns in pivotal Arizona legislature races

Arizona Public Service, Salt River Project, and Southwest Gas have contributed mainly to Republican candidates in several key state legislature races that could decide which party controls the legislative branch, according to state campaign finance records. The utilities have deployed the campaign funds from their corporate profits and Political Action Committees (PACs) as Republicans in the Arizona Legislature look to keep their two-seat majorities in the House and the Senate, which they have controlled for decades. Among Arizona’s House districts with elections, four have been identified as pivotal in determining if Republicans will maintain majority power: Districts 2, 4, 9, and 13. Senate Districts 2, 4, 13 and 17 are also considered toss-ups.

Arizona utilities support Republicans in Arizona House races

Among the state’s most contentious House races, where voting history and polling are leading analysts to suggest close races, the utilities focused their political giving on Republican candidates. Arizona’s maximum contribution limit for statewide and legislative candidates from a PAC like Southwest Gas (SWG) is $5,400. For mega-PACs, like Arizona Public Service’s (APS) parent company, Pinnacle West, the maximum limit is $10,800. There are no state House races where the utility contributed to both parties.

District 2

Utility corporations and their PACs contributed to Justin Wilmeth, the incumbent Republican candidate supportive of Donald Trump. Wilmeth received $2,000 from APS, $3,000 from Salt River Project (SRP), and $3,000 from SWG. Wilmeth is running against Democratic candidate Stephanie Simacek. 

District 4

Utilities and their PACs favor Republican incumbent Matt Gress. Gress received $1,000 from SRP, $8,000 in contributions from APS’s PAC, and $700 from APS executives. Gress received $2,000 from SWG’s PAC, plus more than $900 from SWG executives and employees. 

Gress serves on the Committee for Health and Human Services, which considered a “strike everything” amendment to ban municipalities and counties from prohibiting or imposing a fine that restricts manufacturing, selling, or buying appliances that use the services of a utility provider – in effect, a ban on discouraging gas stoves. Gress was supportive of the amendment, which ultimately did not pass in the legislature. 

Matt Gress is running against Democratic candidate Kelli Butler.  

District 9

SWG’s most significant contributions went primarily to Republicans, with Seth Blattman, an incumbent Democrat running to keep his District 9 seat, as a notable exception. Blattman received $2,000 from SWG, $1,500 from SRP, and $2,500 from APS. Blattman is expected to win the District and is a member of the House Ways & Means Committee, which often makes budgeting decisions impacting utilities, such as the appropriate use of tax-advantaged charitable giving accounts and tax credits for investments in energy storage technology. Blattman is running against two Republican candidates, Mary Ann Mendoza and Kylie Barber. 

District 13

Incumbent Republican Julie Willoughby received $2,500 from APS, $1,000 from SRP, and $2,500 from SWG. Willoughby is a former emergency room nurse who appeared in an ad attacking Kamala Harris on immigration issues that was funded by the pro-Trump Preserve America PAC. The ad reportedly ran in swing states and failed to identify Willoughby as a Republican elected official. Willoughby is running against two Democratic candidates, Brandy Reese and Nicholas Gonzales.

Arizona utilities support Republicans in Arizona Senate races

District 2

Utilities are supporting the appointed Republican incumbent, Shawnna Bolick, the spouse of Arizona Supreme Court Justice Clint Bowlick, who is up for retention this year. In 2022, Shawnna Bolick pushed false claims regarding the legitimacy of the 2020 election and sponsored legislation that would have allowed the Arizona legislature to reject voters’ selection in presidential races. Bolick is a member of the Ways & Means Committee, which considers legislation that often impacts utilities’ financial decision-making. Bolick received $2,700 from SWG, $5,300 from APS’s PAC and an additional $750 from APS executives, and $750 from SRP. Bolick is running against Democratic candidate Judy Schwiebert, who applauds Arizona’s Governor’s Office of Resiliency and the Federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Act in its efforts to address climate change. 

District 4

SWG and SRP contributed $2,500 and $500, respectively, to Republican Carine Werner’s campaign. Werner is looking to unseat Democrat Christine Marsh in a District that leans Democratic. Werner is a Governing Board member for the Scottsdale Unified School District. She has attacked the use of gender-identifying pronouns in school and the teaching of “social emotional learning” in schools.   

District 13

The Senate Republican candidate for the toss-up election in District 13 is incumbent JD Mesnard, who received $5,200 from SWG, $3,000 from APS, and $2,000 from SRP. Mesnard chairs the Commerce Committee, which has overseen legislation to change the Arizona Corporation Commission to appointed seats, as well as a recent bill to prohibit utilities from owning and operating EV charging stations. He is a policy advisor for Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative legal group that has fought against legal abortion and transgender rights. Mesnard is running against Democratic candidate Sharon Lee Winters, a former public school teacher.

District 17

In another toss-up district, District 17, utilities support Republican candidate Vince Leach. Leach received $2,000 from SWG, $10,800 from APS’s PAC, an additional $750 from APS executives, and $3,000 from SRP. Leach is running against former-Republican-turned-Democratic candidate John McLean. Leach’s platform is focused on anti-abortion policies, as well as tax cuts to high earners and border security. Several years ago, Leach helped the utilities in their campaign to defeat the Clean Energy for a Healthy Arizona ballot initiative, which would have required utilities to source 50% of their electricity from renewable energy by 2030. 

Arizona utilities also give to large Republican organizations that can accept unlimited corporate money

The utility contributions extend to political organizations known as 527s, which are organizations not subject to FEC-style restrictions on who can contribute or how much they can give. The Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC) and Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) are two such organizations that operate to receive unlimited funds and then influence pivotal state races nationwide. RSLC recently announced its final political advertising campaign of the cycle that includes ads opposing Democratic candidates in Arizona. SWG contributed $2,500 to the RSLC this cycle, while APS and Pinnacle West (APS’ parent company) have contributed a combined $25,000. Neither utility has contributed to the DLCC this cycle. 

APS also has contributed $85,000 this cycle to a 527 organization called GoPAC, Inc. GoPAC, Inc. has then sent most of its funds to the Gopac Election Fund, whose mission is to ensure “the Republican Party has a healthy roster of prepared and tested leaders ready to run for higher office.” The Gopac Election Fund has funded many state PACs this cycle, including both the Arizona House and Arizona Senate Victory PACs, which are focused on growing the Republican majority in the state legislature. Gopac Election Fund has also contributed to the Arizona Conservative Policy Alliance, which focuses on highlighting conservative leaders in the state and training conservative activists.

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