IN FOCUS - Sept. 5, 2025

You come at the king … you best not miss.

Last month, Arizona Republican National Committeemen Jake Hoffman (a state Senator representing Queen Creek) and Liz Harris (yes, that one) called for AZGOP Chairwoman Gina Swoboda to resign or be recalled. The pair sought to rally grassroots opposition against Swoboda for a variety of alleged misdeeds, including her advocacy for greater oversight of the state’s ESA program. Recent news reporting has detailed how a portion of ESA dollars are being improperly spent by families on items such as jewelry, kitchen appliances, vacations … even lingerie.

It doesn’t look like Swoboda is going anywhere, however. That’s because local county GOP chapters, one by one, announced in recent days they’re standing by her. Executive GOP committees in Yavapai, Pinal, Cochise, Graham, Greenlee, La Paz, Mohave and Navajo counties are backing Swoboda. The Maricopa County Republican Committee effectively quashed any rebellion this week when it announced, “The attempt to remove Chairwoman Swoboda is a distraction from our Party’s primary goal and mission of getting Republican candidates elected.”

This isn’t the first time Sen. Hoffman and Turning Point allies have failed to unseat Swoboda. During the AZGOP Chairmanship election in January, Swoboda easily turned back a challenge by former legislator Cory McGarr. Now, it looks like any attempt to install a TPUSA figure to run the state party will have to wait until after the 2026 election.