Thompson, Kevin

Meet the Candidate

Running For:
Corporation Commissioner
Political Affiliation:
Republican
Phone:
480-586-6472
Age:
53
Occupation:
Mesa Councilmember, Business Owner - Government Relations & Business Development
Education:
Bachelor of Science, Mechanical Engineering - University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Biographical Info:

Kevin is a proud father; devoted husband of 33 years; Air Force combat veteran who fought in the Gulf War; and a two-term City Councilmember representing one of the fastest growing areas in Arizona.

As a mechanical engineer, Kevin worked 17 years in the utility industry, overseeing the installation of natural gas distribution pipelines and working with local governments to provide service to their resident’s. As a Councilmember, Kevin is responsible for the municipal public utilities that provide electric, natural gas, water and sewer services in Mesa, ensuring customers have reliable service at just and reasonable utility rates. Kevin has the real experience you need and deserve in an Arizona Corporation Commissioner.

We need responsible leaders who are willing to protect consumers, protect our businesses, and ensure Arizona maintains a strong and reliable energy grid. As your Commissioner, Kevin will put Arizona First and fight against bad policies that are trying to find their way into Arizona such as California-style and Green New Deal style polices. These are tried and failed policies that would drive up energy costs and de-stabilize our grid.

It’s time for experienced leadership that represents and protects the people of Arizona!

Statement:

With 17 years of direct experience in the utility industry, and 8 years’ experience setting just and reasonable rates for Mesa’s municipal electric, natural gas, and water/wastewater utilities, the Corporation Commission seemed a natural progression where I could couple my experience with my conservative values to protect the consumers and ensure Green New Deal style polices are kept out of Arizona.

I have represented the citizens of Mesa at the national level on the American Public Gas Association, where I lobbied Arizona’s Congressional delegation to support the amendment to the Natural Gas Act to allow the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) the authority to order refunds from overcharges by natural gas transmission companies, and to oppose Department of Energy (DOE) regulations that eliminate consumer choice.

At the State level, I fought to ensure water paid for by the citizens stayed with the citizens, while serving as the immediate past-President of the Arizona Municipal Water Users Association. I have been consistent in listening to the citizens and pushing back against government overreach and against legislation that doesn’t protect our citizens rights and freedoms.

It’s time to elect leadership that leads! It’s time to elect Kevin Thompson to the Arizona Corporation Commission!

Survey

Response Legend

  • SSupports
  • OOpposes
  • *Comment
  • −Declined to respond
  • †Declined to respond, Position based on citation

Question Response Comments/Notes
1. Expanding background checks to include guns purchased from private individuals. O* Criminals aren't buying guns from private individuals, nor are they purchasing "ghost guns". Criminals are lazy and prefer to steal vs purchase or build. Excessive background checks do nothing more than infringe on law abiding citizens' rights.
2. Adding “sexual orientation,” “gender identity,” or “gender expression” to the protected classes of race, religion, age, sex, and ancestry in nondiscrimination law. O* I have been consistent in my role as a councilmember in opposing any legislation that allows a person's moral or religious freedoms from being infringed upon.
3. Prohibiting abortion except when it is necessary to prevent the death of the mother. S* I am pro-life!
4. Allowing biological males that identify as transgender to play on female sports teams. O* This isn't competition. My sister ran track in high school and was considered one of the fastest girls on the track and field team. However, she could never compete and win against the boys. The natural muscle development and aerobic capacity of males just give them an unfair advantage in competitive sports. I was happy to see Governor Ducey sign SB1165 this session too.
5. Providing state funding to abortion entities that perform or refer for abortion. O* I oppose abortion, but tax payer dollars should never be used to fund abortions. Thank goodness we had legislators like Justin Olson that worked to develop legislation that banned the use of federal and state tax dollars to fund Planned Parenthood.
6. Allowing all parents to use tax credits, vouchers, or education savings accounts to enable their children to attend any public, charter, private, homeschool, or online academy. S* I support. The dollars should follow the child. Children shouldn't be forced into a bad school or school district just because they live within specific boundaries.
7. Legalizing physician-assisted suicide. O* I'm really torn on this one. Though I think the sanctity of life is sacred, I do understand situations in which it could be used. My mother suffered from dementia for years, finally getting to the point where her health was failing rapidly. She fell one night and suffered a traumatic brain injury to the point where she had very little brain activity, and would be in a vegetative state if she survived. Because she had a medical directive and living will in place, we were able to comfortably ask the doctor to medicate her to keep her pain free, but to let her pass. It was truly hard on my sister and I to sit and watch our mother basically starve to death over four days. I would have rather ended her suffering sooner.
8. Allowing parents to seek professional counseling for their minor child with same-sex attraction or gender identity issues. S* Professional counseling should be a requirement for anyone that questions their identify.
9. Protecting individuals and businesses from being required to provide services or use their artistic expression in a manner that violates their moral or religious beliefs. S* See question 2.
10. Keeping the flat income tax rate in Arizona’s state tax code. S* People should be able to keep more of their hard-earned dollars versus funding antiquated and outdated referendums and bloated State agencies. It would also help Arizona compete with States like Nevada and Texas that don't have an income tax, and help infuse money back into the economy.
11. Requiring any government entity, including schools, to inform parents about their child’s physical, emotional, or mental health. O* We have parental rights in Arizona, meaning parents have the responsibility to raise their child and nurture their physical, spiritual, emotional and mental well-being. We also have a pretty extensive Parent's Bill of Rights that gives parents enumerated powers.
12. Establishing electric retail competition to eliminate the current monopoly system for electric utilities. -* The Arizona Corporation Commission acts as a quasi-judicial branch of government in rule making proceedings, so it would be out of line to form an opinion on retail competition without gathering all pertinent information and hearing from all stakeholders. In addition, the passage of HB2101 strips the verbiage from ARS Title 40, making it almost impossible to be a competition state without legislative action.