By Mary Jo Pitzl, The Republic | azcentral.com
Seemingly overnight, the Arizona Free Enterprise Club has morphed from a low-profile, low-tax advocacy group into the biggest-spending organization of this year’s election season.
With three months to go until Election Day, its spending on state races this year has ballooned to $1.1 million, from $185,000 in all of 2012.
Along with the increase in spending, the club has ventured far beyond its usual turf of legislative races and is trying to influence voters’ decisions in the GOP primaries for Arizona secretary of state and Corporation Commission. It is now the biggest spender in those races, outstripping even the candidates themselves, according to the most recent finance statements available.
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