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.
This group CAA is here to take down the Republican Party. They will never get traction.
Anderson should crawl back under the rock, snake that she is! What a disgrace to humanity.
Very good to know. Yes, be more like Elon and Vivek!
This group won’t get traction. No message…only here to take down the Republican Party.
Dems Disguised As Republicans, DDARs. It probably won’t catch on, but it should because it’s true. Over the years lots of ambitious Dem-at-heart types have run as Republicans here because lots of Arizona wouldn’t elect a Dem. Now that Dem overreach has heightened the contradictions, they’re being exposed as half-hearted unreliable Republicans and they don’t like it. They want “their” party back. Not gonna happen. At this point it should be obvious to them all they’re going to accomplish is to elect Dems – and they seem to be OK with that. QED – Dems Disguised As Republicans, DDARs.
These lying traitors stand for nothing when they want to get elected, or lie though their teeth about supporting an issue they have never done anything about in the past. They have no morals or lives. All they they live for is power. Wake up Arizona. Act like your future depends on it. Follow the example of Elon and Vivek. Take some risks and at least expose these creeps. Also donate/subscribe to ADI and support those putting their neck on the line.
Very good to know. Yes, be more like Elon and Vivek!
Despicable.
Ditto
So all the usual suspects who prefer the status quo on never ending wars , spending us to oblivion and “working across the aisle” with democrats. We have many of them and this is a good way to flush them out. David Eppieheimer, what happened to you?
Thank you ADI. We need to pay attention.
EXACTLY…. same old cast of characters, looking for relevancy around the crater (they made)
Follow the money. What was Richer doing in Panama 2 weeks after the 2022 election?
Republocrats – on the mission to destroy America – make it a PAN-AMERICA – from Mexico to Canada.. interesting that this exact same thought was being pushed when Lincoln was assassinated – Jesuit Catholic Europeans – were seeking the same with the Confederate Nation then. Wow… the assassin one of them? … and the Anti-Semitic process in the Catholic Church today? The EU turning against Israel – with ICC. Will the USA drop out of the UN? Will the UN move to the EU… buckle up. IT is the time in which we live.
Why come up with a new acronym? They should call themselves what they are – RINOs
Traitors would be a better description
Spot on. We need to move on from this finger pointing. Don’t they realize that the reason Trump won is that we all came togeter – WE THE PEOPLE. smh
Absolutely right. These are not Republicans. They are fifth columnists, who, if successful, will wind up putting the Arizona DemocRATs in permanent control of the state due to splitting votes. Probably funded by Soros
Yup, rino lives do matter, all lives matter, but don’t pretend to be republicans. No one is buying it.
Not surprised this group includes Mr. ‘bad-hair-restoration’ Richer. These traitors have ruined Arizona. They have no place in our GOP, of which Trump is now the leader. His policies will prevail with the support of his fellow Americans.
Finally. Maybe they can wake up the AZ GOP to reality. I’m ready to give them my money.
Hahaha go ahead and flush your money away to these con artists.
Why can’t they be honest with themselves and just join the Democrat Party. The overwhelming majority of Republicans disagree with them. They are just RINO’s. Then they can feel comfortable in the group of snobs and freaks.
What a group of non patriotic liars , frauds , scammers , and puppets . AZ wants nothing to do with there dark money funneling fake American asses .
Ah yes, funny how EVERYONE listed on this site and in this group are those who were called out for Arizona’s vote of NO CONFIDENCE on election integrity or the belief that the last two elections and Kari Lakes 2024 (so-called) defeat wasn’t illicit! These RINO communists have done more to undermine voter confidence and Arizona’s belief in a free and fair election than almost anyone else in the state. Add to this short list of those believed to be sell-outs Katie Hobbs who certified her own election, Adrian Fontes (Richer’s son from another mother) Mayes who refuses to prosecute OBVIOUS violations of US Law but does promote her agenda and you wonder why Arizona is a laughing stock to the nation. BWAHAHAHAHAHA at every turn this illegal administration defies who and what the public wants! We are ALL hoping when they attempt to thwart the federal government from deporting ALL illegals from this state that they are ALL labeled as insurrectionalists and hauled off! In Arizonans and America’s eye it cannot hppen soon enough!
Red Flags are up as soon as McCain’s name is included.
I’d be willing to bet that ALL of these so called experts are imported from California or another deep blue idiotic hell hole. People like them are exactly why I left Arizona in 2016
In the political game of Rock-Paper-Scissors, Trains trump RINOs.
We need to resist this movement. These are the people responsible for messing up our audit and for stealing the election from Trump and Kari Lake for Governor. Republicans of Arizona please, send these people packing. They have no place in our state. Hobbs, Mayes, Kelly, Gallego and Fontes are the result of their effort to California our state. McCain is dead, he was a uniparty RINO and it’s time for us to save our state. These people are NOT conservative and boycott Hickman eggs.
Sounds like a bunch of sour grapes rinos that are/were mclame supporters. Just what we need to try and take care of the state and country. Almost all of the indicated goals are the same as mr trumps and yes he did become a focal point personally, but who else out there could have run a successful campaign like his. The repubs have no LOYALTY or COHESIVENESS and this shows it to all. The left/d’s only think about self just like this groups appears to be advocating. What was really funny in this ad was the reference to a ‘pima county’ republicans. I have been in this hoe of ours for 40 years and NEVER have been contacted by anyone claiming to be a person from the pc repub party. Yes I have been a voter as a repub for over 45 years at this same address! Only time you ever hear from these guys at any level is for $$, thats why I DO NOT send any to these swamo drellers as they do not support those that are r’s equally, ie ms lake and we end up with losers like mr gippords and now the new guy just elected.
There are enough anomalies in multiple states to question 2020 election integrity especially when compared to 2016 and 2024 data. The time for dividing over those outcomes has passed. Many sports fans give a side eye to questionable decisions of the referee. Asking reasonable questions about integrity in the presence of questionable results is also a part of free speech and American liberty. To attempt to punish criticism is undemocratic.
so NEOCON democrats now are you
since YOU ARE NOT CONSERVATIVE at all
just join democrat liberals – they’ll welcome you with open arms before stabbing you
we won’t let you in front door
Gaetz was great stalking horse to help ID these NEOCON democrats
Way to go, a$$hats. Instead of uniting to make this nation great again for all citizens, you want to play democrat games with our money, security and future. GO F— YOURSELVES!!!
This called part of the problem!
Ah yes, the political equivalent of those who didn’t get to attend the prom in High School. Sour grapes isn’t likely to be the rallying cry that will start much of a movement, but keep on trying if it makes you feel better about yourselves.
These are the type of people who cannot be trusted. They are traitors to the party and the people on it. They need to be shown as the traitors they are. I want no part of their vision of America
Every single person in this group is a hater of the worst kind. Oh, and they are frauds.
Anytime an article references McCain anything, you know what you have. The idiots that still worship little Johnnie and want nothing to do with DJT despite his success. What losers these people really are and are doing as much as they can to help turn AZ blue and they are working wonders.
Delusional joke, follow the money
The cast of caricatures reads like a RINO love festival looking for something under the covers
Seriously? Is this someone’s idea of a joke?
Republocrats – on the mission to destroy America – make it a PAN-AMERICA – from Mexico to Canada.. interesting that this exact same thought was being pushed when Lincoln was assassinated – Jesuit Catholic Europeans – were seeking the same with the Confederate Nation then. Wow… the assassin one of them? … and the Anti-Semitic process in the Catholic Church today? The EU turning against Israel – with ICC. Will the USA drop out of the UN? Will the UN move to the EU… buckle up. IT is the time in which we live.
Of course the Mormons and the McStain faction is involved. Biggest group of phony conservatives ever conceived.
Thank you ADI for exposing these scumballs.