Charlie Kirk is dead, but his organization, Turning Point USA, is, despite internal strife following his passing, still politically active and looking to influence electoral contests at all levels of government, including local ones.
Following their involvement in the recall of Mesa Councilwoman Julie Spilsbury last year, the MAGA-White Christian Nationalist-Private School Indoctrination Voucher Supporting and Science Denying organization is setting its sights on placing kindred spirits on the Salt River Project (SRP) utility governing board.
Arizona State Senator Analise Ortiz issued a video statement on Instagram warning what could happen if Turning Point gets their preferred candidates on the SRP board, saying:
“If you’ve seen these street signs around the Phoenix Valley, you want to pay attention. These are climate science deniers backed by Turning Point USA, who are running to take over the SRP Utility Board.”
In her post, Senator Ortiz urged residents who have SRP as their utility to vote for the full slate of clean energy candidates headed by former Arizona Corporation Commissioner Sandra Kennedy, saying:
“It’s (The SRP election) coming up on April 7th, and only very specific people can vote. If you go to this website, you can request a ballot because you do need to register in a different way than you would for a typical election. And you can only vote if you’re a landowner or homeowner who lives in a very specific part of the SRP service area.
So this website will help you figure out if you are eligible. Now, it’s so important we elect these clean energy champions because the SRP Utility Board sets utility rates, it delivers water, and it regulates data centers. Use your voice in this election and share this video with a friend.”
Commenting to Blog for Arizona, Maricopa County Democratic Party Chairperson Patti O’Neil also warned about Turning Points dangerous influence and the need to push back against their reactionary agenda, saying:
“When an extreme right-wing organization like Turning Point takes a vested interest in any elections, that is like a canary in the coal mine. I am thrilled to see the Democrats and clean energy groups organize around great candidates.”
Vice President of Matters of State Strategies and Democratic consultant Matt Grodsky, who has been warning about the rising influence of Turning Point, also commented to the Blog:
“TPUSA will continue to spin their wheels and influence local races using their resources. It’s incumbent on us to focus on people who aren’t following politics day to day and help them realize that the organization is out of touch with the mainstream.”
Grodsky is right.
Turning Point is playing a smart long game, recognizing that the key to long-term political influence and success is building a political bench from the ground up.
Democrats need to recognize this and do the same.
They can start, like Senator Ortiz and Chairperson O’Neil suggested, by reaching out to the people, educating them, and enlisting their support for candidates who will not take Arizona and the rest of the country backward.
Discover more from Blog for Arizona
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.