Highlights
- The Greater Phoenix Chamber PAC endorsed 36 legislative candidates and 2 Corporation Commission candidates for the July 21, 2026, primary.
- Endorsed legislators include District 3's John Kavanagh and District 16's T.J. Shope, both Republicans representing Scottsdale-area seats.
- Chamber PAC Chair John Moody said endorsements cross party lines, with Democrats among the 38 total picks.
- A second round of endorsements for the November general election is planned for later this summer.
The Greater Phoenix Chamber Political Action Committee has endorsed 36 candidates for the Arizona Legislature and two candidates for the Corporation Commission ahead of the July 21 primary, the organization announced Wednesday.
The slate spans both parties. Among the endorsed candidates with direct relevance to Scottsdale-area districts: John Kavanagh (R) for Senate in District 3, T.J. Shope (R) for Senate in District 16, and Justin Wilmeth (R) for House in District 2. Corporation Commission incumbents Kevin Thompson and Nick Myers also received endorsements.
Chamber PAC Chair John Moody framed the picks as nonpartisan business advocacy. "As we have done for over 40 years, the Greater Phoenix Chamber Political Action Committee is once again proud to support pro-business candidates for state and local offices in 2026 regardless of political party affiliation," Moody said in the release.
Todd Sanders, the Chamber's president and CEO, said the PAC board evaluated candidates on alignment with the Chamber's mission. "The PAC Board evaluated many well-qualified candidates and chose to make primary election endorsements of those whose policies most closely aligned with the Chamber's mission and vision," Sanders said.
The Chamber PAC was established in 1978 and became Arizona's first chamber to achieve Mega PAC status in 2003, a designation it says allows it to increase financial support for endorsed candidates. The organization says it remains the only chamber in the state currently holding that status.
A second endorsement round covering the November general election is expected later this summer.
Sources
Every factual claim in this article traces to one of the sources below. See how we work for the editorial process.
- phoenixchamber.com retrieved 27/05/2026 17:06
Authored by The Scottsdale Signal. Drafted by AI from primary-source material under our beat-specific editorial guides; reviewed by humans before publish under our five-gate process. Sources retrieved at 27/05/2026 17:06. Every claim traces to a source.
