By Howard Fischer | Capitol Media Services via Arizona Capitol Times
If money is speech, the state’s largest electric utility is not going to have the only voice this year in trying to affect who gets elected to the Arizona Corporation Commission.
Chispa Arizona is launching a $2.8 million television ad buy Thursday in its bid to get support for Democrats Sandra Kennedy and Kiana Sears. And the organization, an affiliate of the national League of Conservation Voters, also is planning some radio and Internet advertising aimed largely at the state’s Latino community.
The move comes as Pinnacle West Capital Corp., the parent company of Arizona Public Service, already has put $3.2 million into an account specifically to influence elections.
To date, that committee operating under the banner of Arizonans for Sustainable Energy Policy, has not made contributions to individual candidates. But it has doled out $300,000 to the Arizona Republican Party to support its slate.
That still leaves the committee with nearly $2.6 million for a last-minute ad blitz.
