PHOENIX — Former Arizona Republican Chair Kelli Ward had a reputation for spending money, spending $530,000 on the 2022 campaign bus tour, election eve events and an election night party in Scottsdale.
What Ward did not have was a reputation for raising money. The Arizona GOP raised $3 million for the election.
By comparison, the Yuma County Republican Party raised nearly $10 million. A significant portion of AZ GOP's money came from donations to fund the Cyber Ninja election audit.
Current AZ GOP Chair Jeff DeWit inherited a party financially running on fumes.
According to AZ GOP's August campaign financial disclosure filing with the Federal Elections Committee, the state party only has $14,813.45 in cash on hand.
That amount is compared to the more than $764,000 the Arizona Democratic Party reported when it filed its financial disclosure report in July.
"There will be money coming in, but the truism here is that the donor class that used to support GOP candidates is dramatically diminished," said political consultant Chuck Coughlin, CEO and President of HighGround Inc.
Coughlin worked in the Symington and Brewer Administrations.
He says ideological divisions among Arizona Republicans are forcing DeWit to compete with the Yuma Republican Party and Turning Point U.S.A. for donors and volunteers.
"The Turning Point organization has created a massively significant national fundraising arm," Coughlin said, "Turning Point has become this alternative organization, that has been recruiting contributors and volunteers and all of that type of activity, which sort of leaves the state GOP going what's our role."
With the campaign season beginning to take shape, raising money will soon turn to spending it.
Arizona Democrats appear to be ready. Will the Republicans?
