PHOENIX — After a jam-packed weekend at their annual AmericaFest, Phoenix-based Turning Point USA is launching a new political action committee aimed at turning Arizona red across all major political offices.
The group is launching Arizona PAC, saying their first challenge is to oust Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs and replace her with Congressman Andy Biggs, who has already thrown his hat in the Republican race.
According to democratic strategist Eric Chalmers, TPUSA's influence in the state and across the country has grown exponentially over the last few years.
“They have a trajectory that shows them taking over potentially almost the entire Arizona GOP," said Chalmers, who is also the principal founder of Resilient Strategies.
Political Action Committees, or PACs, help raise money to elect or defeat candidates for public office. They can pool smaller, individual contributions and directly donate to campaigns that support their cause.
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Turning Point's efforts in Arizona have already seen real results in cities like Mesa, where one of their backed candidates, Dorean Taylor, successfully ousted then-Councilwoman Julie Spilsbury, a Republican, who came out in support of Democrats Kamala Harris and Ruben Gallego in the 2024 election.
“It was surprising to me how much resources Turning Point poured into a city council race against a Republican in Mesa, Arizona,” said Spilsbury.
ABC15 reached out to Turning Point USA to ask about their efforts in Mesa and about their new Arizona-specific PAC, but we have not yet heard back.
Spilsbury says what the GOP will look like in Arizona remains an open question, but to her, the price she paid for her views is not where the party should go.
“I’m very concerned when we have one party, that’s my party, saying if you don’t agree with us, you are our enemies," said Spilsbury. “I think we’re better when we work with people who think differently than us. I think the diversity of opinions and backgrounds is what makes us better and stronger.”
For Democrats, the new PAC only serves to galvanize their efforts for the midterm elections next year, where they hope to make big swings in Congress.
“They’re down with independents, they’re down with swing voters who were the ones who helped propel President Trump to win here in Arizona," said Chalmers.
