Incumbent Kevin Thompson has secured one of two nominations in the Republican primary for the Arizona Corporation Commission, the state’s top utility regulator. But the race for the second seat is still too close to call.
Early results show Thompson with 36.1% of the vote, enough to secure the nomination, according to the Associated Press. In the race for the second nod, state lawmaker Ralph Heap led incumbent Commissioner Nick Myers by by about 1.5% on Wednesday morning.
Thompson and Myers, both elected in 2022, are running as a team and say they’ve delivered conservative victories since taking office. That includes controversial votes — some of which have faced legal challenges — to undue clean energy mandates and energy efficiency requirements for the state’s utilities.
Heap, running with backing from far-right groups like Turning Point Action and the Arizona Free Enterprise Club, accused his opponents of buying into the “Green New Deal,” shorthand for clean energy policies largely favored by Democrats.
He has provided little evidence to back up that claim beyond blaming the current commission for Arizona Public Service’s decision to shut down the Cholla coal plant in northern Arizona. That grievance has been boosted by President Trump, who has tried to boost the coal industry since re-entering the White House.
APS said it shut down the plant because it would have cost $2 billion to upgrade the facility to comply with federal regulations. The utility now plans to convert Cholla into a natural gas plant.
The winners of the Republican primary will advance to the primary election against Clara Pratte and Jonathon Hill, who are running unopposed in the Democratic primary.
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Find everything you need to know about elections in Arizona and Maricopa County from KJZZ's politics team. -
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