Turning Point Action Revokes Arizona Republican’s Endorsement After Scorecard Dispute

Turning Point Action revoked its endorsement of Arizona Republican State Rep. Nick Kupper after Kupper publicly questioned the conservative organization’s criticism of fellow Republican Rep. Quang Nguyen, whose score on the group’s own legislative scorecard is nearly identical to Kupper’s.

The dispute unfolded less than two weeks before Arizona’s July 21 primary election, with early voting already underway across the state. Arizona’s 2026 primary date was moved to July 21 under legislation signed earlier this year, and Maricopa County election officials said early voting began June 24.

The exchange began after Turning Point Action Chief Operating Officer Tyler Bowyer criticized Nguyen’s legislative score, saying Nguyen had “one of the worst scores in the state leg,” according to Arizona Agenda and Phoenix New Times. Nguyen, a Prescott-area Republican who fled Vietnam as a child and has served in the Arizona House since 2021, pushed back publicly against Bowyer’s criticism.

Kupper then pointed to Turning Point Action’s own scorecard, noting that his score and Nguyen’s were close despite Turning Point endorsing Kupper. Phoenix New Times reported Kupper wrote that he was “not trying to create waves,” but that “there does appear to be an inconsistency here.”

To be fair, my TP scorecard score isn’t much different than @QuangNguyenAZ’s yet I’m endorsed by TP Action. Not trying to create waves, but there does appear to be an inconsistency here. https://t.co/vZog0yELCe pic.twitter.com/qYZOvvJDPM

— Nick Kupper (@realnickkupper) July 6, 2026

Turning Point Action’s Arizona scorecard lists Nguyen with a 78.00 score and Kupper with a 79.33 score, with both lawmakers categorized as “Becoming Erratic.” The same scorecard lists other Republican state representatives endorsed or supported in conservative circles with comparable or lower scores, including Matt Gress at 74.33, Chris Lopez at 75.48, and James Taylor at 73.08.

Bowyer responded to Kupper by saying Turning Point could rescind its endorsement and support a challenger against him in a future cycle, according to Phoenix New Times. 

Whatever floats your boat. 👍🏼

— Nick Kupper (@realnickkupper) July 6, 2026

Bowyer later posted that Turning Point had revoked Kupper’s endorsement and urged voters not to support him in 2028 and beyond.

Done

— Tyler Bowyer (@tylerbowyer) July 6, 2026

The dispute also drew attention because Bowyer directed a separate remark at Nguyen asking whether he could speak English. Nguyen fled Vietnam at age 12 near the end of the Vietnam War and has frequently cited his experience under communism in his legislative work. Phoenix New Times reported that Nguyen responded by saying he speaks English better than Bowyer speaks any other language.

Can you speak English

— Tyler Bowyer (@tylerbowyer) July 7, 2026

Nguyen told Phoenix New Times he did not view Bowyer’s remark as representative of Turning Point as a whole, saying instead that an individual inside the organization had gone “rogue” and should be called out.

The fight highlighted tensions between Turning Point Action, one of the most influential grassroots conservative organizations in Arizona politics, and Republican lawmakers who have questioned its scorecard and endorsement process. Arizona Agenda reported that Republican strategist Tyler Montague described Nguyen and Kupper as “hardcore conservative guys,” not moderates, while arguing that the fight showed Turning Point had alienated some solid conservatives.

Turning Point Action’s scorecard gives Arizona an overall state score of 62.90, which it labels “Losing Freedom.” The group describes itself as a 501(c)(4) organization whose mission is to equip and empower grassroots activists.

The timing of the endorsement reversal could raise questions about the weight of Turning Point Action’s endorsements in Arizona Republican primaries, particularly in races where the organization has positioned itself as a gatekeeper for conservative candidates.

Neither Turning Point Action nor Bowyer had issued a formal statement on the endorsement reversal on the organization’s website as of Thursday afternoon. Phoenix New Times reported that Bowyer declined to comment by phone and that Turning Point USA did not respond to its request for comment.