Not all those that can’t beat the winning party actually join them — some look to undermine them.
A newly-launched group, Conservative Agenda for Arizona (“CAA”), hopes to steer Republicans away from a Donald Trump-led party.
Much of their messaging in this election focused on criticizing challenges to the recent past elections and fighting “election denialism.” The group put up billboards ahead of Election Day thanking election workers and pledging conservative support for them.
CAA’s former executive director, Jane Andersen, told NPR that she was a registered Republican but no longer aligned with the party due to election denialism. Anderson is also the “Arizona Protecting Democracy Specialist” for Mormon Women for Ethical Government. Andersen spoke at a McCain Institute panel back in September.
A founder and advisor to the group, Matt Kenney, also founded Echo Canyon Consulting earlier this summer. Kenney’s consultancy supported Donald Trump’s reelection through initiatives like canvassing for America PAC. And yet, Kenney told NPR in October that there’s a need to have “confidence restored in the election system and back in democracy.”
Kenney cofounded Echo Canyon Consulting alongside Jon Seaton, who worked for Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s 2022 reelection campaign, and Ryan Price, logistics lead for the 2024 Republican National Convention. Neither Price nor Seaton were listed with Kenney’s group.
Also at the group’s helm are former Republican congressman Matt Salmon (and his wife, Nancy), former state senator Paul Boyer, outgoing Maricopa County Supervisors Clint Hickman and Bill Gates, and outgoing Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer.
Over the summer, Salmon came out publicly urging Trump to drop out of the presidential race weeks before Biden did. Salmon had formerly been a supporter of president-elect Trump’s until the 2020 election fallout. The point of his new group, Salmon says, is to step away from the hot-button issues and focus only on reducing the size of government, lowering taxes and regulations, and improving neighborhood safety and education.
“Today, the Republican Party seems more committed to the personality of one individual rather than ideas and conservative policies,” Salmon told AZ Capitol Times in an interview.
Including Boyer, Gates, and Hickman, CAA’s advisory board consists of a mix of active political figures: Barry Aarons, Lisa Atkins, Todd Baughman, Candice Copple, David Eppihimer, Johnny Melton, TJ Mitchell, Bettina Nava, Kim Owens, Hank Peck, Trey Terry, and Jeremiah Willet.
Barry Aarons, a longtime lobbyist; Todd Baughman, a policy strategist; and Jeremiah Willet, a data engineer, have all put their money behind Republican candidates.
Lisa Atkins is a longtime Central Arizona Project board member, who ran for Congress decades ago as a Republican.
Candice Copple is an ASU associate vice president and formerly chief of staff to the late Maricopa County Attorney Allister Adel.
David Eppihimer was formerly the chairman of the Pima Republican Party.
Johnny Melton is councilman-elect for Surprise City Council and former chair to the LD-21 and LD-29 GOP groups whose username on X is “@RinoLivesMatter.”
TJ Mitchell is Gates’ chief of staff.
Bettina Nava, who runs a communications firm, refers to herself as a “proud member of the ‘McCain Machine’” and supported the campaign of Democratic Secretary of State Adrian Fontes.
Kim Owens is the executive director of the Dodie Londen Excellence in Public Service Series, which offers a leadership program for Republican women.
Hank Peck is the former chairman of the nonpartisan nonprofit, Arizona Town Hall, advocate for nonpartisan primaries, and open opposition to Trump.
Trey Terry is councilman-elect to the Goodyear City Council, and formerly a board member of the Agua Fria Union High School District who backed an effort to launch a new nonpartisan school board association alongside other Republican activists.
