Republicans lead in two Tucson-area congressional races

Two congressional seats representing parts of Tucson, currently held by Democrats, were leaning red in incomplete results from Tuesday’s midterm elections.

Ciscomani slightly ahead of Engel

Tucson’s Congressional District 6 Republican candidate Juan Ciscomani was holding a slight lead over Democrat Kirsten Engel as of Wednesday afternoon, according to unofficial results.

Ciscomani had about 50.5% of the vote compared to Engel’s 49.5%. The Republican had about a 2,400-vote lead over the Democrat, while enough votes remained to be counted in Pima County to make the race too close to call.

Engel and Ciscomani are vying for the seat held by Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick, who did not run for reelection, in what used to be Congressional District 2 before recent redistricting.

The newly drawn CD6 stretches from midtown Tucson through Graham and Greenlee counties and most of Cochise County and up into Casa Grande. It is considered to be a highly competitive district that could be won by either party.

Ciscomani is a senior advisor to Republican Gov. Doug Ducey on regional and international affairs. He previously served as a senior program development specialist at the University of Arizona and was vice president of outreach for the Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

One of Ciscomani’s top issues is border security, including agents and officers, technology and finishing the wall, according to his campaign website.

Ciscomani has said Congress also needs to deal with inflation, the rising cost of living, and the high cost of gas and grocery prices. His other top issues include election integrity, Second Amendment rights, supporting first responders and veterans, energy independence and First Amendment rights, and being anti-abortion.

Engel, an environmental attorney, has said she wants to work on the economy, job creation, bringing down inflation, water issues, climate change, reproductive rights, access to quality affordable health care, investing in both physical and social infrastructure development, and strengthening Social Security and Medicare.

Engel has represented Tucson for years in the Legislature. She most recently represented Legislative District 10 in the Arizona Senate. She held that position from January 2021 to September when she left to focus on her congressional campaign. Before that she served two terms as a District 10 state representative.

Crane maintains lead over O’Halleran

Tucson’s Congressional District 2 Republican candidate Eli Crane maintained a lead over Democrat Tom O’Halleran as of Wednesday afternoon.

Incumbent O’Halleran and Crane, a business owner, are both vying to represent the newly redistricted CD2, formerly CD1.

Wednesday afternoon, Crane was ahead of O’Halleran 54% to 46%. He had a nearly 19,000-vote lead over the incumbent.

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All of the district’s precincts had reported results, according to the Secretary of State’s Office, but it wasn’t clear how many ballots were left to be counted.

The district includes a northern slice of Tucson and stretches into the northeast part of the state, including Prescott and Flagstaff, as well as Apache, Coconino, Graham, Greenlee and Navajo counties and parts of Gila, Maricopa, Mohave, Pima, Pinal and Yavapai counties.

The recent redistricting made the district much more Republican, according to The Arizona Republic.

Political newcomer Crane is endorsed by Donald Trump and embraces MAGA-style politics. His top issues include enacting more voter ID laws, border security, “defeating cancel culture,” being anti-abortion and anti-gun regulation, and being against vaccine mandates, mask mandates and pandemic-related lockdowns.

O’Halleran has held his seat since 2016. Before that he served in both the Arizona House and Senate.

He has said his top issues include government transparency and accountability, agriculture and climate issues, expanding broadband access, the economy, national security, tribal sovereignty, education, health care and veterans.

Rep. Raúl Grijalva wins reelection

Longtime U.S. Rep. Raúl Grijalva, a Tucson Democrat, won reelection in Congressional District 7 race over opponent Republican Luis Pozzolo.

Grijalva had 64% of the vote to Pozzolo’s 36% in unofficial results Wednesday afternoon.

The newly drawn CD7 includes the west half of Tucson, the Tohono O’odham Nation and parts of Cochise County and runs west to Yuma, north into Phoenix’s western suburbs and south to Nogales.

Grijalva has held the seat, formerly CD3, since winning it in 2002. He is known for being an outspoken progressive, with a long history in the Tucson community. Before winning national office, Grijalva served 12 years on the Tucson Unified School District Governing Board and 15 years on the Pima County Board of Supervisors.

His top issues include immigration reform, access to health care, criminal justice, education, the environment, jobs and the economy, civil rights and liberties, and more.

Pozzolo, a small-business owner, immigrated to the U.S. in 2003 from Uruguay and became a U.S. citizen in 2012.

His top issues include creating jobs and economic growth, supporting the mining industry and oil industry, school choice, border security, stopping “hardline socialist policies,” and supporting “traditional family values,” trade, law and order, and veterans.