PHOENIX — Democrat Kirsten Engel has conceded the race for Arizona's 6th Congressional District to Republican incumbent Juan Ciscomani.
The congressional race was one of the most competitive in the U.S. as both Engel and Ciscomani were ahead at different times when results started coming in after Election Day. As of Wednesday, Ciscomani was ahead of Engel by more than 6,800 votes.
In a statement on Nov. 13, Engel said "the voters have made their decision and we must respect it."
Ciscomani said Engel had recently called him to congratulate the congressman on his successful re-election to the district.
"Now, it is time to get to work," Ciscomani said in a statement. "Our country is facing big challenges and I am ready to continue tackling these issues head-on.
The Associated Press officially called the race in Ciscomani's favor on Nov. 13.
Arizona's 6th Congressional District includes parts of Tucson, Wilcox, Tombstone, Sierra Vista and Casas Adobes.
This is the second time these two candidates faced off in CD6. In 2022, Ciscomani won the general election with 50.7% of the vote. Engel received 49.2% of the vote.
Athena Eastwood is running with the Green Party and Luis Pozzolo is an Independent write-in candidate.
Juan Ciscomani (R), incumbent
Ciscomani was first elected to Arizona's 6th Congressional District in 2022 and was the first naturalized American citizen from Mexico to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in Arizona, according to his website.
His family immigrated to the United States when Ciscomani was young and the family established roots in Tucson. He attended public schools in Tucson, Pima Community College and the University of Arizona; he became the first in his family to graduate from college.
He is a member of the Appropriations Committee and the Veterans Affairs Committee. Ciscomani lives in Tucson with his wife and their six children.
Ciscomani won the Republican primary in July against Kathleen Winn, according to Ballotpedia.
- supports building a border wall and ending catch and release.
- opposes efforts to reduce benefits or jeopardize Social Security and Medicare.
- is pro-life, against a federal ban on abortion, and supports increased investments in women's health research.
Kirsten Engel (D), challenger
Engel is facing off against Ciscomani for the second time. She served as a member of the Arizona State Senate, representing District 10, in 2021 before she resigned from her position to run against Ciscomani in 2022.
Engel is originally from Chicago. She graduated from Brown University and Northwestern University's School of Law before holding positions at the Massachusetts Office of Attorney General and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
She specializes in environmental and administrative law, and has taught at Tulane, Harvard and now teaches at the University of Arizona, where she serves as co-director of the Environmental Law Program.
According to her campaign website, Engel is running for Congress to fight for access to affordable healthcare and protect the environment and natural resources.
Engel is married to Scott Saleska, a climate scientist at the University of Arizona, and her daughter just started college.
According to her campaign website, Engel:
- supports protecting reproductive rights.
- believes Social Security and Medicare "should not only be protected, but strengthened."
- wants to utilize manpower, technology and security at ports of entry.
- supports universal background checks, red flag laws and a ban on assault rifles.
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Decision 2024
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