JIM SMALL
Arizona Mirror
When Jeff DeWit took the reins of the Arizona Republican Party in January, the party had more than $152,000 in its federal campaign account. Seven months later, the AZGOP has burned through more than 90% of those cash reserves and doesn’t have enough money to pay its bills.
The party’s most recent federal campaign finance report shows just how dire the situation is for Republicans heading into a monumentally important 2024 election year, during which the AZGOP will be overseeing efforts to win the presidency, capture a U.S. Senate seat and maintain control of the Legislature.
At the end of August, the party had just $14,800 left in the bank. During that month, the party spent nearly $89,000 — more than twice the roughly $44,000 in revenues it reported. But the AZGOP only paid about $57,000 of those bills, and took on almost $32,000 in debt.
That is sparking concern for some Republicans, who fear the party is now on an unsustainable path.
“If this keeps up, it’s inevitable they’ll go broke,” said Chris Baker, a Scottsdale-based political consultant whose clients include U.S. Rep. David Schweikert.
