A once‑sleepy Salt River Project board election is suddenly one of the hottest tickets in metro Phoenix politics, as national conservative organizers and a new pro‑growth PAC pour money and muscle into the race. What is usually a low‑turnout utility contest has turned into a fight over rates, renewable energy and the future of data centers, with two clear slates on the ballot: a business‑backed Dobson‑Paceley team and an incumbent clean‑energy lineup led by Sandra Kennedy and Casey Clowes.
Who’s backing which slate
The business slate, branded “Elected Leadership for SRP,” features Chris Dobson running for president and Barry Paceley for vice president, promoting a message of affordability and local industry know‑how, according to the campaign’s site. Elected Leadership for SRP casts the ticket as a pragmatic alternative to the current board majority.
Business PACs and donors
Arizonans for Responsible Growth (ARG), a business coalition chaired by Willmeng executive Jimmy Lindblom, has posted a public donor wall listing backers such as Google and Willmeng and says it is supporting pro‑growth SRP candidates. Arizonans for Responsible Growth has reported six‑figure contributions tracked by campaign transparency tools, and Axios has reported that the group expects to spend more than $500,000 on digital ads.
Turning Point mounts a ground operation
Turning Point Action is scaling up its “Chase the Vote” field program across the Valley, hiring neighborhood representatives to register eligible voters, knock on doors and help people navigate their ballots. Local coverage has described a fast build‑out of the operation and its recruiting push. KGUN9/AP detailed the rollout, while Turning Point Action lists the SRP candidates it has endorsed and offers voter‑registration tools.
Why the SRP board matters
SRP’s elected boards control power and water policy for roughly 1.1 million electricity customers in the Phoenix area, operating under a structure that puts the utility under an elected board rather than direct oversight from the Arizona Corporation Commission. Because voting strength is tied to land ownership, a relatively small group of property holders can wield significant influence over contracts and long‑term planning. SRP materials and local reporting alike have emphasized the reach and stakes of that authority.
Clean‑energy incumbents push back
The SRP Clean Energy Team, led by incumbents Sandra Kennedy and Casey Clowes, says it is focused on protecting sustainability targets, safeguarding water supplies and keeping ratepayers away from what it argues would be expensive reversals of current plans. SRP Clean Energy Team says volunteers are knocking doors and organizing across the Valley but concedes it expects to be heavily outgunned financially. Kennedy and allies warn that national political groups and corporate cash could pull SRP away from renewables and toward more volatile fuel costs, and Axios has reported that the clean‑energy slate expects to be outspent by about 10 to 1.
When and how to vote
SRP’s official calendar shows that early ballots will begin going out on March 11, with Election Day set for April 7. Eligible landowners must either request an early ballot or vote in person at SRP’s voting center. SRP outlines who can participate, how to request ballots and what to expect at in‑person voting locations.
What watchdogs are watching
Watchdog groups warn that SRP’s acreage‑based voting rules, paired with chronically low turnout, leave these elections open to concentrated financial influence and strategic land transfers. The Energy and Policy Institute has documented a 2024 case in which votes from a single landowner’s trust nearly decided an SRP race, and local coverage has continued to follow voter‑registration drives and outside spending as key storylines. Energy and Policy Institute and Arizona Capitol Times have both detailed those concerns.
Over the next month, that volatile mix of national organizers, corporate donors and neighborhood volunteers will help decide whether SRP’s board leans more toward industry‑friendly governance or doubles down on its existing clean‑energy trajectory. For property owners inside SRP’s territory who qualify to vote, an often overlooked off‑year election has suddenly become one of the most consequential choices on the Valley’s political calendar.
