Prescott’s Republican Showdown: Stop Betraying Your Oath!

Former Senator Linda Gray and RWOP Stalwart Sherrie Hanna Expose Shocking Bylaw Violations, Demanding Accountability

In a recent development shaking the local political landscape, former Arizona State Senator Linda Gray and longtime Republican Women of Prescott (RWOP) member Sherrie Hanna have filed formal complaints against RWOP member and mayoral candidate Cathey Rusing, as well as Yavapai County Republican Party (YavGOP) Precinct Committeemen Lois Fruhwirth, Phil Goode, and Cathey Rusing.

The complaints allege serious violations of RWOP Bylaws and the YavGOP Precinct Committeeman Oath, accusing the individuals of supporting non-Republican candidates, in the appointment of a city council member, as a direct contradiction to their sworn duties. Prescott Pulse sat down with Senator Gray and Sherrie Hanna to discuss the evidence, their motivations, and the implications for Republican unity in Prescott. Link to RWOP Complaint, Link to YavGOP Complaint.

Questions and Answers Grounded in the Details of Their Formal Complaints.

Q1: Senator Gray, in our July 1st Prescott Pulse interview, you mentioned filing a public records request with the City of Prescott to investigate City Council appointment issues and urging YavGOP and RWOP to enforce their oaths and bylaws. Are the complaints you filed with Sherrie Hanna the fulfillment of that promise? What are your expectations from filing your complaints?

Senator Gray: My 16 years in the Arizona Legislature, including my role as Senate Ethics Committee Chair, taught me the importance of integrity and accountability. When I say I’m going to do something, I keep my word. These complaints are a necessary step to uphold the principles of our party and ensure fair representation for Prescott’s Republicans.

Members of those organizations vote on their own bylaws. I especially want the leadership of those organizations to uphold their bylaws. One of the best things I learned from my dad was that his handshake was his word. I also learned from Matthew 5:37. Christ's command for believers is simple: let the words "yes" and "no" be binding in all cases. Anything more comes from evil. A believer ought to be honest in what they say and do, they should not need the pressure of an artificial oath to follow through on their commitments. James 15:12 But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath; but your yes is to be yes, and your no, no, so that you may not fall under judgement.

Q2. How did the two of you join forces to file a joint complaint to YavGOP and RWOP? Haven’t there been past tensions between you and Sherrie when she was President of RWOP?

Senator Gray: Yes, and I don’t always totally agree with my wonderful husband too. But although there have been differences, Sherrie Hanna and I share a deep commitment to Republican principles and the Prescott community. I have a great deal of respect for her service to the community with over 15 years with RWOP, including her leadership as President and her role as a YavGOP Precinct and State Committeeman. She also currently serves as Americanism chair on the Board of the Arizona Federation of Republican women, and has worked tirelessly for the Republican party. Republicans can disagree but must always put the community’s interests first. Our shared goal is to uphold accountability and ensure our organizations serve the public by staying true to their Republican principles.

Sherrie Hanna: I deeply respect Senator Gray’s integrity, shown through her years in the Arizona Legislature and her commitment to doing what’s right for the people. Her experience taught her, as did mine, that Republicans can disagree but must prioritize the public’s interest. Too many people hold grudges over disagreements which is, I believe, destroying the Republican organizations in Prescott. I was especially grateful when Senator Gray shared her Statement of Facts with me. I was shocked to read what Phil Davis, a Republican precinct committeeman and spouse to RWOP President, Sue Davis, said to her during the executive session.

I have received two separate texts showing that Rusing asked council members to vote for Patrick Grady (Dem). Linda has yet to receive the public request information records, and we believe there are more to see. That revelation, combined with my evidence of texts, emails, and voter records, confirmed the violations of RWOP Bylaws and the YavGOP Oath by Cathey Rusing, Lois Fruhwirth, and Phil Goode.

Q3: Can you summarize the nature of your complaints against Cathey Rusing, Lois Fruhwirth, and Phil Goode?

Senator Gray: Our complaints focus on clear violations of the 2025 RWOP Bylaws and the YavGOP Precinct Committeeman Oath. Specifically, Cathey Rusing, a current RWOP member and mayoral candidate, has repeatedly supported non-Republican candidates, including a documented instance in 2021 where she paid for and recorded a radio endorsement for then independent Brandon Montoya, leading to her membership revocation in 2021.

More recently, evidence shows she colluded with other Prescott City Council members to appoint a registered Democrat, Patrick Grady, to an open City Council seat, undermining Sherrie Hanna, a qualified Republican, and RWOP member in good standing. This violates RWOP Bylaws, Article II(E) and Article III, Section 7(A), which mandate exclusive support for Republican candidates, even in non-partisan races. In my opinion, and many in this community agree with me, Sherrie was clearly the best candidate of the three.

Sherrie Hanna: For Lois Fruhwirth and Phil Goode, our complaint to the YavGOP Executive Committee highlights their failure to uphold the Precinct Committeeman Oath, which requires supporting the election of Republican candidates. The transcript of the City Council’s executive session motion shows they recused themselves from voting for a qualified Republican, resulting in the appointment of a Democrat, Patrick Grady. This inaction, combined with Rusing’s active collusion, directly contravenes their oath and Arizona Revised Statutes (ARS) 38-231(E), which demands faithful discharge of duties of elected officials.

I want to make something clear. For me, Patrick Grady’s party affiliation doesn’t disqualify him from this appointment. His documented climate change advocacy and efforts to persuade city planners to integrate climate initiatives into Prescott’s 2025 General Plan are what should disqualify him from this appointment. An AZ Free News article dated May 29th even dubbed the Prescott General Plan, the Green New Scam!

*Side Note: The Democrat Party has the same requirement of supporting only Democrats as a PC. Click here to view their platform.

Q4: Why is this issue so significant for RWOP and YavGOP members?

Senator Gray: RWOP and YavGOP exist to advance Republican values and elect Republican candidates. When members, especially those in leadership or running for office like Cathey Rusing, actively work against these goals, it erodes the organizations’ credibility and unity. The 2025 RWOP Bylaws, ARTICLE III, Sec. 7 states: “No Active or Associate members who in their official capacity: A. Publicly advocates for a candidate other than a Republican, including non-partisan races, shall be admitted to, or continue in membership.” The YavGOP Oath reinforces this commitment. Allowing such violations to go unaddressed sets a dangerous precedent and erodes our ability to maintain a strong, principled Republican presence in Prescott.

Sherrie Hanna: This isn’t just about one person. Over the past year, RWOP has disciplined members for lesser infractions, including membership terminations. Failing to act decisively now, especially given Rusing’s history and the clear evidence, would signal that the Bylaws are meaningless. It’s also a matter of fairness; I have been a dedicated Republican and RWOP member since 2008 and was unfairly undermined by an all-Republican City Council in this appointment process. We cannot allow such actions to go unchecked.

Q5: What specific evidence supports your claims against Cathey Rusing?

Sherrie Hanna: The evidence is alarming and well-documented. We have an email from Brandon Montoya dated June 18, 2025 (Footnote #1), a text from Cathey Rusing to Brandon Montoya (Footnote #2), and a text from Ted Gambogi (Footnote #3), all confirming Rusing’s efforts to secure the appointment of Patrick Grady, a registered Democrat. Additionally, a recording of Rusing’s radio ad (Click Here to Listen) supporting a non-Republican candidate, Brandon Montoya (Montoya was a registered independent at that time), on June 11, 2021 causing her to lose her RWOP membership (Footnote #4), which subsequently led to her losing her standing with the Arizona Federation of Republican Women (AZRFW) (Footnote #5), This further demonstrates her pattern of disregarding RWOP’s bylaws to only support Republicans. Her 2021 membership revocation for similar actions shows this is not an isolated incident but a repeated violation.

Q6: The text that Cathey Rusing sent to Brandon Montoya, only “suggests” that that he be first to “jump in and be the first to nominate Patrick” before anyone else can nominate Sherrie or Rex. Is that strong enough evidence to support your claim?

Senator Gray: I’ll state again, I rely on my experience as a 16-year veteran of the Arizona Legislature and former Senate Ethics Committee Chair. I’ve seen how seemingly small actions can reveal intent to undermine fair processes. While Cathey Rusing’s text to Brandon Montoya, urging him to “jump in and be the first to nominate Patrick Grady,” may appear merely suggestive, it is damning when viewed in context.

The May 20, 2025, the City Council meeting unfolded exactly as Rusing’s text outlined: Mayor Pro Tem Cantelme opened the floor for discussion, but none occurred. Montoya moved to nominate Grady, a registered Democrat, Moore seconded, and Cantelme called the vote, all in under a minute. This orchestrated process, devoid of transparency or debate, denied the public insight into the council’s reasoning and sidelined qualified Republican Sherrie Hanna.

Combined with other evidence, Montoya’s email, Gambogi’s text, and Rusing’s history of supporting non-Republicans in 2021, this all reveals a clear intent to violate RWOP Bylaws and the YavGOP Oath, which mandate exclusive support for Republican candidates. My experience in ethics oversight tells me that such coordinated actions, especially when they suppress open governance, demand accountability to protect the integrity of our party and community.

Q7: We see that the complaint to RWOP only includes Cathey Rusing, and the complaint to YavGOP includes Phil Goode, Lois Fruhwirth, and Cathy Rusing. Why is that?

Senator Gray: We intend to submit a complaint to RWOP that includes Goode, Fruhwirth, and possibly others, separately. Sherrie and I felt strongly that Cathey be the focus on the RWOP complaint as the organization has Rusing as a “Member Spotlight” at their next luncheon on July 15^th.

Q8: What actions are you requesting from RWOP and YavGOP leadership?

Senator Gray: For RWOP, we’re urging the Executive Committee to take immediate disciplinary action against Cathey Rusing, consistent with the 2021 termination for endorsing someone other than a Republican. We also insist that RWOP immediately withdraw from featuring her as a “Spotlight Member” at the July 15^th luncheon, as doing so would undermine the organization’s integrity. For YavGOP, we’re requesting that they take the strongest action possible, under their rules and bylaws, against Lois Fruhwirth, Phil Goode, and Cathey Rusing’s Precinct Committeeman’s status due to their betrayal of their oath they swore to support.

Sherrie Hanna: These actions are not just punitive; they’re about protecting the principles of our organizations. The Arizona Federation of Republican Women’s resolution on June 21, 2025, invoking Reagan’s Eleventh Commandment, emphasizes party unity and loyalty. Rusing, Fruhwirth, and Goode’s actions directly contradict this, and we trust the leadership will act swiftly to maintain accountability.

Q9: How do you respond to potential criticism that these complaints are politically motivated or divisive?

Sherrie Hanna: Our motivation is to uphold the rules and principles that govern RWOP and YavGOP. This isn’t about personal grudges, it’s about ensuring our organizations remain true to their mission. The evidence speaks for itself, and our complaints are grounded in documented violations. Ignoring these would be far more divisive, as it would erode trust among members who expect leadership to enforce the Bylaws fairly.

Senator Gray: As a former Ethics Chair for the Arizona House and Senate, I’ve seen firsthand the importance of holding leaders accountable, regardless of their position. These complaints are about preserving the integrity of the Republican Party in Prescott. If we don’t enforce our own rules, we risk losing the trust of our members and the community we serve.

Q10: What message do you hope this sends to the Prescott Republican community?

Linda Gray: We want to send a clear message that the Republican Party stands and upholds its principles and platform. Supporting non-Republican candidates, especially in a way that undermines qualified Republicans, is unacceptable. We hope this encourages members to hold themselves and others accountable to the oaths and Bylaws we’ve all agreed to uphold.

Sherrie Hanna: This is a call to action for all Republicans in Prescott to recommit to our shared values. We’re not just fighting for rules, we’re fighting for the future of our party and our community. By addressing these violations, we can strengthen RWOP and YavGOP and ensure they remain trusted voices for Republican principles.

Conclusion:
Senator Gray and Sherrie Hanna’s complaints highlight a critical moment for the Republican Women of Prescott and the Yavapai County Republican Party. Their call for accountability, backed by substantial evidence, underscores the importance of upholding organizational integrity and Republican unity. Prescott Pulse will continue to follow this story as the RWOP and YavGOP leadership respond to these serious allegations.

The Prescott Pulse would like to express our utmost gratitude to Senator Gray and Sherrie Hanna for their decades of service to our community and Republican values.

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