Republicans sweep AZ Corporation Commission again

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Departing Arizona Corporation Commissioners Gary Pierce and Brenda Burns will be replaced by Republicans Tom Forese and Doug Little.

They outpolled their two Democratic opponents, Jim Holway and Sandra Kennedy, by a wide margin.

Remaining ballots are likely to maintain the lead, meaning the five-person commission that regulates Arizona’s utilities will continue to be comprised completely of Republicans, as has been the case since 2012.

The race for what is largely a technocratic position has been anything but dry. A swell of anonymous, outside spending paid for ads touting Little and Forese and blasting  their opponents in the primary and general elections.

The most recent campaign finance reports show more than $3 million went to help Forese and Little, while the pair’s campaigns spent only about $437,000.

The slate’s GOP primary opponents and the Democrats running for the seats have accused Arizona’s largest utility, Arizona Public Service, of being behind the anonymous electioneering. APS officials have repeatedly declined to say whether or not they are.