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By Hugh Cameron
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Turning Point USA (TPUSA) has been blamed by a senior Arizona Democrat after conservative‑backed candidates fell short in a closely watched election for control of the Salt River Project (SRP) board, which oversees the state’s largest public utility.
Newsweek has contacted Turning Point Action, TPUSA's advocacy and campaign arm, through its website for comment.
Why It Matters
The SRP is one of the most critical water and power systems in the Southwest, providing water to hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland as well as electricity to millions of residents. The composition of its board therefore shapes decisions over access and pricing for these resources, while also influencing the state’s economic structure and that of the wider region.
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What To Know
Arizona House Democratic Leader Oscar De Los Santos said the conservative activist group’s heavy involvement in the race mobilized opposition voters and helped tip the balance toward clean‑energy aligned candidates.
“TPUSA pumped an unprecedented amount of money into this election,” De Los Santos wrote on X. “Voters came out in droves against TPUSA. Turnout was more than 400 percent of 2024 turnout.”
Elections were held this week for control of the SRP board, pitting a group of conservative-backed candidates against clean-energy advocates.
According to unofficial results published on the SRP website, several TPUSA-backed candidates were successful, including President Chris Dobson and Vice President Barry Paceley. However, their opponents have secured an eight-to-six majority on the board, per reporting from The New York Times and The Arizona Republic.
Early voting for the utility board election began in March, with the race quickly shaping into a contest by between clean-energy candidates and those backed by Turning Point USA, the group founded by the late activist Charlie Kirk.
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Turning Point Action chief operating officer Tyler Bowyer said that the race, and the group’s involvement, could set the stage for other upcoming elections in the state, telling E&E News: “The SRP territories, they’re pretty blue. If we can get turnout and activate the toughest place in the state for us right now, that could play a huge role for us later on in November.”
According to The Arizona Republic, citing a spokesperson for the SRP, around four times as many ballots were cast in this year’s race as in 2024.
And those on the clean-energy slate were able to make sizable gains, flipping a number of board seats—and taking control of the board—while securing victories in advisory council elections, doubling their representation from four to eight out of 30 seats, The Arizona Republic reported on Wednesday.
However, as well as the presidency and vice presidency, traditional SRP candidates maintained control of the water board—results Turning Point celebrated as denying clean-energy advocates full control of the project.
What People Are Saying
Arizona House Democratic Leader Oscar De Los Santos posted to X: “MONUMENTAL ELECTION EARTHQUAKE IN ARIZONA TONIGHT: Consumer advocates & clean energy candidates defeated Turning Point USA in a huge utility election and FLIPPED the majority of the utility board. SRP will be the largest utility in the country with a clean energy majority.”
“After the massive Democratic victories we’ve seen across the country, the blue wave has now hit Arizona,” he wrote in a separate post. “Just wait until November: TPUSA is going to get crushed at the ballot box. Mark my words.”
SRP vice president Barry Paceley told The Arizona Republic: “We will strive to keep the most affordable rates, highest reliability, and seek the most economic and clean energy generation. We are saddened that several of our highly qualified candidates were not elected who would've been instrumental in the future success of Salt River Project."
What Happens Next
Results from the election become official on Monday, April 13, according to the SRP website, with the successful candidates set to take office on May 4 and 5.
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