August 2026 President's Message

August 2026

Congratulations are in order to all the Arizona Primary winners!  We truly appreciate all of the time and effort, blood, sweat and tears that go into the commitment to running for office.  Some of these candidates started their campaigns mid-2025 and have not stopped running since, even when they have full-time jobs to boot.  All candidates are winners in my book, considering their sacrificial dedication and willingness to serve the people of Arizona.  To those who did not come out on top, we salute you!  Your commitment has not gone unnoticed, and we look forward to following your next steps as you navigate your careers.  

Many thanks are also in order to all of the faithful voters and volunteers who dedicated time and effort to ensuring our election was executed efficiently.  First of all, if you completed your early ballot, sent it in on time, used a ballot box, went to vote in person, and validated that your ballot was processed and accepted……THANK YOU!  Your vote matters!  To those volunteers who were campaign organizers, door knockers, fundraisers, poll workers, poll observers, ballot counters, ballot chasers, ballot curers, texters, or any other type of election worker…….WE ARE GRATEFUL!  As the saying goes, it takes a village!  You were part of making this election smooth, complete, and thorough.  Not to forget, our Yavapai County Recorder and Elections departments were exceptional and published results quickly and according to Arizona law. Many thanks all around!

There were a few disappointments evident from this election.  Are you aware that statewide voter turnout was less than 28%? Slightly over ¼ of registered Arizona voters actually voted in this Primary election.  The importance of each vote cannot be overstated, and additional voter turnout could potentially have an impact on the final outcome.  Yavapai County was the top voting county in the state, yet voter turnout was just under 40%. We will be hosting speakers at our September 3rd luncheon who will be sharing these results along with voting trends, analysis and observations.  Stay tuned for additional information later this month.

Now is the time to re-focus, unite and dedicate our efforts to the 2026 General Election.  This is an historic team effort to ensure we win back Arizona for the Republicans.  If your candidate won the Primary, it will be an easy transition.  If your candidate did not win, it’s time to switch gears, put on your Republican hat, and support all of the Republicans that will be on the ballot in November.  This is crucial!  We do not want Katie Hobbs, Adrian Fontes and Kris Mayes back in office as they do not reflect, emulate or support our values and principles.  Over the next few months, we will be sharing ways to become more involved in all things election related.  I hope everyone takes it to heart that we need to come together with a common purpose, put aside differences, and become an integral part of a united Republican team that is dedicated to winning in November!

October 8 through 10 are the dates of the AzFRW Board of Directors Fall Conference, and the good news is it will be held here in Prescott at the Prescott Resort and Conference Center, right in our backyard!  I’d like to encourage as many of you as are interested in attending.  It is open to ALL members.  There will be an early bird registration opportunity announcement on August 17^th, so watch for that information along with meeting details then.  This conference will be specifically focused on Republican efforts to win the General Election and will include activities designed to Get Out the Vote.  It will be a team effort, so come be a part of the Republican Team who wants to win in November!

Before closing, I would like to specifically recognize and thank members (Primary and Associate) of our Prescott Valley Republican Women’s Club who expended much time and energy to run for office over these past months.  They deserve our thanks and admiration as strong stalwarts of Republican values and principles.

• Sellina Bliss (LD1 House Representative, 2-yr term)

• Michael Greer (PV Town Council, 4-yr term)

• Kymberli Lopez (PV Town Council, 2-yr term)

• Kendall Schumacher (PV Town Council, 4-yr term)

• Carie Hughes (HUSD School Board)

Looking forward to seeing you all on Thursday, August 6th for another educational, empowering, and memorable event.  We are thankful for your continued support of and enthusiasm for Prescott Valley Republican Women!