Former Arizona GOP Chair Gina Swoboda Lashes Out at Turning Point USA In Two Interviews Days Before Midterms

Former Arizona Republican Party Chair Gina Swoboda criticized Turning Point USA and Turning Point Action in two interviews published October 29, predicting losses for their endorsed candidates in Arizona and prompting a response from Turning Point Action Chief Operating Officer Tyler Bowyer.

Swoboda, who served as AZGOP chair from January 2024 until January 2026, said Turning Point’s candidates “lose over and over and over again, and they will lose on Tuesday,” she told Phoenix New Times in an interview published Thursday. “They are not the reason Trump won. Trump is the reason Trump won.” 

Swoboda described the Turning Point brand as “toxic” and said the organization prioritizes controlling candidates over winning elections. “They don’t give a shit about ultimately winning the seat. They give a shit about controlling the person who wins the seat. And if you can’t control them, they want to burn them to the ground,” she said. “They make more money losing.” She further stated that Turning Point “wants to wear our party like a fucking skin suit” and predicted significant losses, asking whether the organization would “own it when their candidates cause us to lose.” 

She criticized Turning Point Action’s spending in safe Republican legislative districts such as Legislative District 3 in North Scottsdale, saying donors are funding efforts to advance Freedom Caucus-aligned candidates rather than contest swing districts. 

They are not the reason Trump won. Trump is the reason Trump won,” said Gina Swoboda, former Arizona Republican Party chair and former Republican primary candidate for Arizona Secretary of State.

— Gina Swoboda (@GinaSwoboda) October 29, 2026

Swoboda lost the July 21, 2026, Republican primary for Arizona Secretary of State to Turning Point-backed state Rep. Alexander Kolodin by 18 points. Kolodin has claimed the 2020 election was stolen and was admonished and placed on probation by the Arizona State Bar over related lawsuits. 

In a separate Politico interview published the same day, Swoboda said that if Vice President JD Vance intends to run for president, “it would be a good idea to reevaluate any thoughts he might have about utilizing Turning Point Action as his field operation.” Turning Point has endorsed Andy Biggs for Arizona governor and spent $18 million on the race, its largest investment of the cycle. Biggs was the last candidate Charlie Kirk personally endorsed before his death. 

The public criticism follows a multi-year conflict between Swoboda and Turning Point leadership during her tenure as party chair. In January 2025, the Arizona Republic reported Swoboda was reelected chair after defeating former state Rep. Cory McGarr, who received support from some Turning Point-aligned activists. 

In August 2025, state Sen. Jake Hoffman and former state lawmaker Liz Harris called for Swoboda’s resignation after she publicly supported “guardrails” and risk-limiting audits for Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Account program amid reports of misuse of funds according to Deseret News. Turning Point Action Chief Operating Officer Tyler Bowyer also criticized Swoboda over the comments and called for her removal. Maricopa County Republican leaders later voted to support Swoboda against the ouster effort.

Bowyer has repeatedly criticized Swoboda on social media. In one post he called her a “self-absorbed, bloviating, low-grade politician who does little to help the movement.” He also stated that neither Swoboda nor then-U.S. Rep. David Schweikert called him after Charlie Kirk’s assassination, according to Politico.

Gina is a self-absorbed, bloviating, low-grade politician who does little to help the movement

She has used the AZGOP to prop herself up & isn’t even good at it with her anti-Trump consultant

Huge embarrassment.

She should have already resigned if she wants to run for office. https://t.co/6UihdunvFw

— Tyler Bowyer (@tylerbowyer) October 25, 2025

Swoboda stepped down as chair in January 2026 to pursue a congressional bid in Arizona’s 1st District with a Trump endorsement before later running for secretary of state. Turning Point USA was founded in Arizona. The organization declined to comment for the Phoenix New Times story. 

Bowyer responded on October 30 to former Arizona Republican Party Chair Gina Swoboda’s criticism of the organization’s spending in Legislative District 3. In a post quoting Swoboda’s remarks about donors funding activity in the safe Republican North Scottsdale district, Bowyer wrote that Swoboda was “wondering why we are chasing ballots in LD3 where AZ has a Congressional Race to win.” 

She’s also mad because she got decimated in the primary and lost every contract and gig she wanted to get. Including one particular one

— Tyler Bowyer (@tylerbowyer) October 30, 2026

He said she “doesn’t know anything about donors because she couldn’t raise money for her two failed races this cycle,” noted that she “ran for Congress (the area she’s complaining about) and failed so miserably she switched to SOS and got destroyed as sitting AZGOP chair,” and questioned her associations with Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, the Phoenix New Times, and Garrett Archer. Bowyer followed up with a subsequent comment, saying, “She’s also mad because she got decimated in the primary and lost every contract and gig she wanted to get. Including one particular one.”