Turning Point Action turns focus to SRP board election
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A relatively obscure election for the Salt River Project (SRP) board has become a battleground for the conservative activist group Turning Point Action.
Why it matters: Unlike publicly regulated utilities like Arizona Public Service, whose electricity rates are set by the Arizona Corporation Commission, SRP's district board determines rates and energy policy that affect 1.1 million customers in the Phoenix metro area.
How it works: SRP has two governing bodies with elected boards — the Salt River Project Agricultural Improvement and Power District and the Salt River Valley Water Users' Association.
- The district sets electricity rate and policy for power generation, while the association oversees water delivery.
- Elections for each body are staggered, with half the seats up for a vote every two years.
- Noncommercial landowners in SRP territory are eligible to vote. For the district's division seats and the association board, voting is based on acreage, while the district's at-large seats are one vote per landowner.
State of play: Turning Point Action, a major force in MAGA politics, plans to support district and association candidates in the April 2026 SRP election.
- Turning Point Action COO Tyler Bowyer is concerned about stopping the SRP board from adopting "Green New Deal policies" that will increase rates, he wrote on X this year.
- The organization hasn't endorsed anyone, Bowyer told Axios. But he recently posted that Turning Point expects to have hundreds of people on the ground for the election, and the group is registering SRP voters.
The intrigue: Bowyer said Turning Point's work in the race will also help it organize for 2028, telling Axios, "Any serious organization wanting to win the state long term would be interested in any major voter outreach opportunity."
Meanwhile, a business-backed group called Arizonans for Responsible Growth will work to elect candidates "who understand how important utilities are to keep things moving economically," said Jimmy Lindblom, a construction company executive who runs the PAC.
- Lindblom and Bowyer both told Axios that they view each other's groups as allies in the SRP race.
The other side: District board member Sandra Kennedy, a former Democratic member of the Arizona Corporation Commission, told Axios she's concerned that Turning Point-backed candidates will raise rates, oppose renewables and support fossil fuels if elected.
What we're watching: It's unclear whether clean energy advocates will run a slate of candidates, as they did in 2024. Several of those candidates, including Kennedy, won district board seats.
What's next: The official call for candidates doesn't go out until October, and they have until February to file their nomination papers.
Zoom out: Turning Point Action has been active on other electoral fronts in Arizona.
- The group played a major role in the campaign to put Mesa City Council member Julie Spilsbury on the ballot for a Nov. 4 recall election.
- It's heavily committed to aiding Rep. Andy Biggs' campaign in next year's Republican primary for governor.