The Main Street Advocacy Group just spent $40,000 producing and airing a radio ad supporting House Speaker Andy Tobin in his bid to move from the State House to the U.S. House. The centrist-conservative* group says it is supporting GOP primary candidates who will be part of the "governing wing" rather than the "grifting wing."
Meanwhile, dark money Main Street is declining to list its donors, although publicly-released tax documents note that the dark money group American Action Network - a Republican outside group powerhouse chaired by former Senator Norm Coleman - granted $500,000 to Main Street in 2013 (as part of its effort to maintain that most of its activities are not overtly election-related).
Main Street Chair Steve LaTourette (former GOP Congressman) has been outspoken in the intra-GOP battle between more centrist Republicans and more conservative Republicans. He has bemoaned the move to the right, saying the party will sacrifice a governing majority on the altar of ideological purity, and calling the ideologues the "grifting wing" of the party.
Tobin is facing two opponents in next week's GOP primary, with the nominee trying to unseat incumbent Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick (D-CD1) in one of the few toss-up contests in the nation. State Rep. Adam Kwasman and rancher/businessman Gary Kiehne have both been running to the right of Tobin.
If you find an online recording of the ad, please send the information to Arizona's Politics, at info@ArizonasPolitics.com.
*Main Street prefers to call itself "conservative" while intra-party opponents try to lump it with Democrats and liberals. Most centrist Republicans refer to themselves as conservative, especially during primary season.
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