Former AZ Rep Austin Smith to Be Sentenced for Petition Forgery

Former Arizona State Representative Austin Smith, a Republican who represented Legislative District 29 from 2023 to 2025 and a former senior director at Turning Point Action, is scheduled to be sentenced on January 6, 2026, after pleading guilty to charges related to forging signatures on his 2024 reelection nomination petitions.

A Maricopa County grand jury indicted Smith in June 2025 on fourteen charges, four felonies and ten misdemeanors, related to the forged petitions. The charges were reduced under a plea agreement.

Smith, 30, pleaded guilty on November 17, 2025, in Maricopa County Superior Court to one count of attempted fraudulent schemes and practices and one count of illegal signing of election petitions, according to the Office of Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes.

As part of the plea agreement, Smith admitted to forging signatures on candidate nomination petitions submitted to the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office in March 2024, including signing the name of a deceased individual, The Associated Press reported.

“As a part of his guilty plea today, Smith admitted signing the name of a deceased woman on one of his candidate nomination petitions in March of 2024,” Mayes said in a statement. “He also admitted that he attempted to deceive the Secretary of State’s Office by knowingly filing petitions containing forged signatures of purported supporters of his nomination for the Republican primary for State Representative from LD 29. Forging signatures, including those of people who have died, in order to get yourself on the ballot is illegal, and it erodes trust in our elections.” 

In a statement posted to X on April 18th, 2024, Smith announced that he would not continue his bid for office, citing the massive legal cost of defending his candidacy, and described the allegations against him as “alleged by two Democrat activists who were officers in the District 29 Democratic organization.” 

He said at the time, “It seemed ludicrous because Republicans trying to get on the ballot don’t seek Democrat signatures and would have no reason to forge Democrat signatures, since they don’t count.”

He also characterized the allegations against him as being part of a “coordinated attack,” which “included press releases and social media activity and other things that made it clear that this was a well-organized effort.”

He has made no contradictory statement regarding the allegations, other than the plea agreement itself.

The agreement stipulates probation, a fine of at least $5,500, and a five-year prohibition on seeking public office. Specific terms of the agreement are non-binding and may be rejected by the court at sentencing. Sentencing is set for 9:30 a.m. before Judge Aryeh Schwartz in Maricopa County Superior Court. 

Smith served one term in the Arizona House of Representatives after being elected in 2022. He withdrew his 2024 reelection bid in April 2024 and resigned as senior director of Turning Point Action, the campaign arm of Turning Point USA. 

The political significance of Smith being sentenced for “Illegal Signing of Election Petitions” and “Attempted Fraudulent Schemes and Practices” on January 6th is notable, but has yet to be addressed at the time of this report.