For the first time in recent memory; the Arizona Republican Party won’t have an election night party.
The latest campaign finance reports filed Tuesday show the Arizona GOP only has about $340,000 on hand — while the Democrats report $5.2 million.
Arizona Republican Party Chair Gina Swoboda pushed back on speculation that her decision not to have an election night party is because the Republicans are low on cash.
“That’s stupid,” Swoboda said. “I have money for a party, I’m choosing not to spend money on a party. … That money can be better spent elsewhere.”
Swoboda says her decision not to have a party isn’t because the GOP is low on cash — but because it should all go to the campaigns.
Former party chair Robert Graham said Swoboda is making the right call.
“If it’s either, you know, knocking doors, making phone calls, chasing ballots or having a party? The right thing to do is to choose knocking doors, making phone calls and chasing ballots,” Graham said.
Swoboda and Graham both criticized extravagant spending for a party in the hundreds of thousands of dollars on election night in 2022 under the leadership of former chair Kelli Ward.
Swoboda didn’t mention Ward by name, but Graham did.
“Kelli Ward was irresponsible. Self-indulging. Only wanted herself to be in the limelight. Wasn't interested in winning elections. She was self-serving, self-promoting … I don't know of any chair in the GOP history that was so irresponsible with the money that was donated to the party than Kelli Ward,” Graham said.
Practicality aside, Graham said there is some value in having an election night party to bring the community together, win or lose.
“That's part of the election process that makes it more fun, and I think we have gotten to a point where people are so bitter that they're having a hard time being in the same room whether you're Rs or Ds, and of the same party, and that's pretty pathetic,” Graham said.
Swoboda noted that in Arizona it takes quite a while to process ballots and get final results, so it’s very likely that no big races to be celebrated will be called on election night anyway.
“I’ll celebrate at the inauguration,” she said.
