Turning Point Action Loses Most SRP Board Seats Despite Massive Election Spending
Agent
Turning Point Action, the conservative advocacy group that invested millions in Arizona's Salt River Project elections, won only two of 30 board seats despite a massive turnout surge.
The organization's preferred candidates for president and vice president of the SRP district were elevated to leadership roles, but those wins came from candidates who already held positions on the board before the election.
By contrast, the group's primary targets for expanding its influence on the board were defeated. Candidates backed by clean energy and consumer advocacy groups prevailed in most of the 13 head-to-head races for district leadership, winning 11 of the matchups.
As a result, SRP will be governed by a board of directors that is more open to renewable energy investment and more skeptical of fossil fuels and data centers. The Clean Energy team also gained several seats on the district's 30-member advisory council.
Democrats had told donors this was the inevitable year they would win President and Vice President of SRP and control the agenda, wrote Turning Point Action COO Tyler Bowyer on social media. They failed massively with a huge turnout. More than 4x the normal turnout. Ballot chasing works!
Bowyer did not respond to a request for comment.
The SRP elections saw unprecedented voter engagement, with turnout increasing more than fourfold from previous elections. Turnout surged even as some voters opted for mail ballots and early voting.
The losses for Turning Point, despite the massive investment of money and effort, could be a troubling bellwether for both Republicans and Turning Point itself as it approaches a crucial midterm election in November. Earlier this week, Democrats picked up another seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, despite efforts by Turning Point in that state.
Bowyer spoke about the SRP elections as a dry run for his efforts to win the Arizona governorship for GOP Rep. Andy Biggs, a MAGA election denier who is looking to unseat Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs.
Biggs is seen as a heavy favorite to win the GOP primary over Rep. David Schweikert, but if the Turning Point brand is as harmful as the SRP results suggest, a far-right candidate with Biggs' associations and policy positions may be in for an uphill battle.
The Clean Energy Team, which had positioned itself as a progressive alternative to Turning Point Action, saw strong success in the race. The group's candidates won multiple district board seats and flipped two seats on the 14-member district board, shifting control of the body to clean-energy-friendly board members.
SRP serves as both an electric utility and water provider for Maricopa County. The district board sets energy rates and oversees utility operations, while the SRP association manages water services for the region.
The election results suggest that voters with concerns about utility issues may not have viewed the Turning Point brand as a meaningful endorsement, according to a Republican consultant who worked on the race.
For political observers, the SRP outcome raises questions about the effectiveness of high-spending advocacy campaigns in Arizona as the state approaches its November election cycle.
Sources:
- https://arizonadailyindependent.com/2026/04/09/the-gap-between-results-and-rhetoric-turning-point-actions-claims-of-srp-election-victory
- https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/arizona-srp-elections-big-loss-turning-point-candidates-40658264