What has former Arizona Gov. Ducey been up to since he left office? Here's the answer.

By Howard Fischer
Capitol Media Services
PHOENIX -- Saying he wants to fight a "push toward socialism,'' Doug Ducey has signed on as the new chief executive of Citizens for Free Enterprise.
And look for it to continue to try to influence voters and elections across the nation, at least in an indirect way.
In a prepared statement and video release Tuesday, the former Arizona governor said his new role is a return to where he started in launching Cold Stone Creamery, a system of franchises for ice cream.
"It's that entrepreneurial effort that ultimately inspired me to run for governor,'' Ducey said, winning the first of his two terms in 2014 after four years as state treasurer. And Ducey said his tenure "turned Arizona into a leader of free-market innovation.''
"But lately, free enterprise is under attack everywhere we turn: bigger government, needless regulation and a push toward socialism,'' the former governor said. Ducey said the newly revamped organization would allow Americans to "push back'' against all that with an effort to "motive more people who care about free enterprise to get involved in elections.''
Until now the organization has been using its resources to directly influence elections.
Reports from Open Secrets show that in the 2020 election it spent more than $5.7 million to defeat Democrats in congressional races and another nearly $1.2 million in support of Republicans. And that money came largely from Joe Ricketts, the founder and former CEO of Ameritrade.
Ducey, who has remained largely silent since leaving office at the end of last year, declined to comment beyond his written and video statements.
But J.P. Twist, a Ducey political ally who will serve as the organization's executive director, told Capitol Media Services that all that is changing.
"The group existed in limited scope and form,'' he said, saying Ducey was brought on to revamp and grow the organization.
"It will look nothing like it has previously,'' Twist said. "All we're keeping is the name.''
But the former governor also will be called on to raise money.
Twist said that when Ducey headed the Republican Governors Association he raised "record amounts'' from donors across the country to help elect its candidates.
"He will bring that experience and those relationships to grow CFFE,'' he said.
Twist specifically said the organization is launching a new "social welfare'' organization. Under Internal Revenue Service rules, these can run commercials and advertisement in support of or against candidates.
But Twist said those efforts will be "less candidate and more issues focused.''
In his time as governor, Ducey sought to carve out a reputation as someone who cared more about economic than ideological issues like gay rights or abortions. That was led by his signature on legislation for Arizona to have the lowest flat-rate income tax in the nation, a move that Democrats continue to say undermines the ability to properly fund education and other state needs.
He did sign legislation last year to outlaw abortions after 15 weeks, down from what had been fetal viability at 22 to 24 weeks. But he openly disagreed with then-Attorney General Mark Brnovich who argued that the U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade made all abortions illegal in Arizona, saying his signature on the more recent legislation trumps territorial-era laws bans.
Ducey also openly parted ways with Donald Trump, insisting that the results of the 2020 election of Joe Biden were accurate.
Still, he did sign a law creating universal vouchers allowing all Arizona students to get taxpayer funds to attend private or parochial schools -- a move that his successor, Katie Hobbs, has unsuccessfully tried to reverse.
The choice of Ducey to head the organization produced an indirect slap from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
The organization's Maeve Coyle noted that there were efforts by Republicans to convince Ducey to run for U.S. Senate last year to oust Democrat Mark Kelly. The outgoing governor demurred and the party then chose Blake Masters who lost the race.
And there had been some talk that Ducey might be willing to make a bid in 2024 when Democrat-turned-independent Kyrsten Sinema is up for reelection despite the fact that the former governor has repeatedly disavowed interest in Congress.
In a press release Tuesday, Coyle said Ducey's decision to head the Committee for Free Enterprise shows that he's not interested.
"Even the most sought-after GOP recruits are refusing to run for the Senate because they know their party's vicious primaries and toxic agenda will lead their campaigns to defeat in 2024,'' she wrote.
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