Photos: 2018 CD2 debate between Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick Republican Lea Márquez Peterson

CD 2 Debate

CD 2 Debate

CD 2 Debate

CD 2 Debate

CD 2 Debate

CD 2 Debate

CD 2 Debate

CD 2 Debate

CD 2 Debate

CD 2 Debate

In Arizona's CD2, Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick takes 'nothing for granted' in challenge from Brandon Martin

While Arizona’s second congressional district has seen a fair bit of turnover over the last decade, many are expecting Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick to coast to victory in November.

But with just a few weeks before Election Day, the 70-year-old four-term congresswoman is taking nothing for granted in the district that’s flip-flopped between Republican Martha McSally and Democrat Ron Barber over the last decade.

“We always run as hard as we possibly can because we don’t want to have any regrets on Election Day,” said Kirkpatrick, who returned to Congress in 2018 after a failed challenge to U.S. Senator John McCain. “I still consider it a very competitive district and we need to talk to the voters, tell them the facts and make sure people are ready to vote.”

Standing in the way of Kirkpatrick’s fifth term is Brandon Martin, a 35-year-old veteran whose support for building a border wall, stimulating the economy through income tax cuts, and promotion of individual liberties earned him the endorsement of President Trump.

“I think that the Republicans are offering opportunity and prosperity,” Martin said, adding that he was “proud and honored” to gain the endorsement of Trump, which came during a Latinos for Trump roundtable earlier this month in Phoenix.

But despite Martin’s confidence, enthusiasm and support, not many experts are giving Martin much of a chance. Cook Political Report has listed the district as “solid” Democrat. Sabato’s Crystal Ball has the district as “likely Democratic.”

University of Arizona Professor Barbara Norrander, who teaches in the school of government and public policy, said that competitiveness in the district waned when it got swept up in a nationwide “Blue Wave” in 2018.

Kirkpatrick won the seat by more than 9 percentage points in 2018 thanks to the voters in eastern Pima County, who overshadowed the votes in more rural areas in the district, like Cochise County.

Ultimately, Norrander said the race appears to be a “typical incumbent re-election” due to large gaps in fundraising, trends in voter registration in the district, and the underlying fact that incumbents win 90-95% of reelection races.

Kirkpatrick has outraised Martin roughly 8-to-1, and has 20 times more money left to spend, according to the most-recent federal filings submitted in mid-July. There’s also roughly 28,000 more Democrats registered in the district, according to the Pima County Recorder’s Office.

But Martin maintained things “can and will be different” this time, saying “people in District 2 care about property rights, individual liberties and they want to get back to work.

“That’s what President Trump, Republicans and I want to do here in CD2,” he said.

No debates between the two have yet been scheduled, with both candidates saying they are open to one. Kirkpatrick said she’s trying to wrap up her work in Congress before transitioning full time to campaigning. Martin said he’s pushing for a socially distant, in-person discussion of issues.

In the meantime, the Sierra Vista resident and executive director of Keepers of Liberty, has been campaigning around the district, which includes two military bases and the U.S.-Mexico border, spreading the word of his Liberate the Economy, and American Paychecks Act.

He’s labeled Kirkpatrick as ”Absent Ann,” knocking her for a high number of missed votes, as well as her aligning most of her votes with the Democrat party. Govtrack.us found that Kirkpatrick missed 7.7% of roll-call votes since 2009. FiveThirtyEight found that she voted in line with Trump policies 2.7% of the time.

“Her record speaks for herself,” Martin said.

In a statement, Arielle Devorah, Kirkpatrick’s campaign spokeswoman, said she’s “been transparent” about why she missed the votes, referring to a stint in rehab for alcoholism. She made sure to submit her votes into the congressional record, where they weren’t counted but reflected where she stood on issues.

For Kirkpatrick, she expressed skepticism that a Trump-aligned message from Martin would play well in the district, saying she’s found that many in the district are “independent thinkers.” She added that she’s found Congress to have become less bipartisan in the era of Trump.

She called every election a “job evaluation.” She said she hopes her work on the House’s appropriations committee, where she’s been able to secure funding for infrastructure projects in Arizona, such as the repair of roads and bridges, will lead to her reelection.

She’s hoping to do more of the same if she’s reelected, saying she’ll be focused on ports of entry to increase economic ties between the U.S. and Mexico, and make it easier for families in her district who travel back and forth between countries to do so. Other priorities include immigration reform, without a wall, and health-care reform, the importance of which has been elevated by the pandemic.

In the past, she’s gone to door-to-door to speak with constituents but will be more creative this time to have a presence with prospective voters. She said it all comes down to voter turnout.

“It’s not long ago that it was a red district, and I don’t take anything for granted,” she said.

Photos: 2018 CD2 debate between Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick Republican Lea Márquez Peterson

Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick and Republican Lea Márquez Peterson answered questions in front of several hundred during a televised debate at the T…