Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick has won five elections to Congress in two different Arizona districts, and served three separate times, but she’s decided it will stop there.
Kirkpatrick, 70, said Thursday she will not run for reelection. The Democrat plans to serve out her current term representing Congressional District 2, which ends in January 2023, then stay in Arizona permanently.
“Family is everything to me and Roger,” Kirkpatrick said of her husband, Roger Curley. “Initially we had family in the D.C. area, a son and a daughter, and that was great. But everybody has moved back to Arizona.”
Kirkpatrick said the decision had nothing to do with her tumultuous 2020, in which she fractured bones in a fall, went to treatment for alcohol addiction, and was pent up because preexisting conditions made her vulnerable to COVID-19.
“That didn’t really play into the decision,” she said. “We started talking about it at Thanksgiving and it just kind of evolved from there.”
Among the key factors, which will figure into the decisions made by many members of Congress, is redistricting. In 2022, Arizona’s congressional districts will look different in ways that could be advantageous, disadvantageous, or just plain different.
“Actually there have been quite a few retirements in Congress — really good, experienced people who feel the same way I do,” Kirkpatrick noted.
Born in McNary, Arizona, which was then a logging town, Kirkpatrick grew up in the White Mountains. She studied at the University of Arizona, then became an attorney in Flagstaff, serving as a deputy county attorney there before winning a seat in the Legislature.
The Douglas Spring Trail is a 16.6-mile out and back hike into Saguaro National Park East and the Rincon Mountains. The trailhead is at the eastern end of Speedway and open to access 24 hours a day. Elevation gain is about 3,700 feet. Difficulty varies, but is generally moderate. Video by Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star 2020
Kirkpatrick served Northern and Eastern Arizona in Congress starting in 2009, but lost her reelection campaign to Paul Gosar in 2010. Gosar chose to switch districts when he ran again in 2012, and Kirkpatrick won the seat back that year. She went on to serve two more terms.
Kirkpatrick didn’t run for reelection in 2016, instead pursuing the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate and running against Sen. John McCain. He won handily.
In 2018, Kirkpatrick won her first election in Congressional District 2, which includes much of Tucson and Southeastern Arizona, repeating in 2020.
Kirkpatrick said the proudest achievement in her career is the Affordable Care Act, a vote that cost her re-election in 2010. She’s also especially proud of the COVID-19 stimulus package that just passed and was signed by President Biden.
She plans to use unused campaign funds to set up a political action committee intended to encourage mothers to pursue political office.
Powers Hannley casts controversial vote
A Tucson lawmaker is facing heavy blowback after she stood out as the only vote against a bill mandating life sentences for people convicted of child sex trafficking.
Rep. Pamela Powers Hannley, a Democrat representing Legislative District 9, said she opposes mandatory sentencing in all forms. That’s why she was the only out of 52 who cast votes on the bill, HB 2889, to vote no. Eight representatives did not vote.
The bill, authored by Rep. Leo Biasucci, a Lake Havasu City Republican, would mandate life sentences for anyone “convicted of a dangerous crime against children in the first degree involving commercial sexual exploitation of a minor or child sex trafficking.” It also includes mandatory life terms for repeat child molesters convicted of a dangerous crime against children.
Those sentenced under the law would not be eligible for commutation of their sentence, parole or other forms of early release.
InfoWars, the conspiracy website founded by Alex Jones, posted a story about Powers Hannley’s opposition, and the Pima County GOP demanded that legislative Democrats censure her.
Party chair Shelley Kais said in a press release: “Powers-Hannley is out of touch with the people she is supposed to be representing. I do not know anyone regardless of party who thinks it’s a good idea to go soft on child sex predators.”
Powers Hannley said she opposed the bill in part because bias in the criminal-justice system means mandatory sentencing disproportionately affects people of color.
“If we really cared about victims, we would bring back (Rep. Paul) Boyer’s original bill from 2019 which (would) lengthen the time for victims of past abuse to identify their abusers,” Powers Hannley said via Facebook message. “I wouldn’t have any problem putting away chronic, long-term abusers who are still hiding in churches, youth groups, sports teams and schools. HB 2889 does nothing to accomplish that goal.”
Kozachik faces 2nd primary challenge
Another candidate plans to challenge Ward 6 Tucson City Council member Steve Kozachik for the Democratic nomination this year.
Andrés Alexander Portela III has filed to run for the seat Kozachik has held since 2009. Miranda Schubert also has filed to challenge Kozachik in the election. It’s the first time Kozachik has faced a primary challenge since he won office.
Portela grew up in Sierra Vista and attended the University of Arizona, graduating with a degree in political science. He says he has worked for U.S. Rep. Ron Barber, the Southwest Fair Housing Council, the Tucson Hebrew Academy and the Dunbar Pavilion.
He worked as a policy adviser for Ward 1 council member Lane Santa Cruz until Feb. 1. He is also a policy institute fellow at the Black Futures Lab.
“Now more than ever, Council needs young folx who have had different experiences and can represent those interests. As a young Afro-Latino, I will be bringing a differentiated experience that is rooted in the identity of being Black, Latino, formerly houseless, renter, homeowner, and young millennial,” Portela wrote in a press release.
The ward-only primary election for City Council is scheduled for Aug. 3. The general election takes place on Nov. 2 when city voters will pick the representatives of Wards 3, 5 and 6.
Recall against Finchem resumes
The on-again, off-again effort to recall Rep. Mark Finchem is on again, this time for real.
Organizers from Rural Arizonans for Accountability filed papers March 4 to begin the recall campaign.
At a press conference, they cited Finchem’s participation in the Jan. 6 events at the U.S. Capitol as justifying the recall.
Finchem “has failed to support the Constitution of the United States and the constitution and laws of the state of Arizona,” said Natali Fierros-Bock, co-executive director of Rural Arizona Action, a sister organization of the recall group. “The time has come to hold Rep. Finchem accountable for his failures of duty and remove him from office through a voter-led recall.”
The group has a tough challenge ahead. It must collect 24,774 valid signatures within 120 days of the filling, or about 207 per day.
Contact: tsteller@tucson.com or 807-7789. On Twitter: @senyorreporter
Photos: A look back at Tucson-area streets
Broadway Road, Williams Addition, 1958
Recently paved and improved Broadway Road in Tucson looking east to Craycroft Road (just beyond the Union 76 gas station at left), where the Broadway pavement ended in 1958. At right, is the natural desert of the Williams Addition, an innovative 160-acre development with only 22 homes on large lots. Developer Lew McGinnis bought all but two of the homes by 1980. It is now Williams Centre.
Interstate 10, 1960
Interstate 10 under construction at St Mary's Road in Tucson, ca. 1960.
Cherry Avenue, 1972
Arizona Stadium is off in the distance looking south along North Cherry Avenue on February 9, 1972. At the time the UA was proposing an addition to its football stadium adding another 10,600 seats to the east side of the structure that would involve permanently closing Cherry Avenue. It was also considering a 3,600-unit parking lot, all of which could cost around $11 million.
Speedway Blvd., 1950
Speedway Blvd. looking east from County Club Road, Tucson, in 1950. The controversial "hump" down the middle of the road separated opposing lanes of traffic. It was removed in 1957.
Court Street, 1900
Court Street in Tucson, c. 1900. City Hall is on the left (with flagpole) and San Augustin church is the peaked roof in distance at the end of the street. The building in the left foreground was used for the first mixed school taught by Miss Wakefield( later Mrs. Fish) and Miss Bolton.
Congress Street, 1933
Congress Street, looking west from 4th Avenue, Tucson, ca. 1933. Hotel Congress is at left. Today, Caffe Luce and One North Fifth Lofts have replaced the shops just beyond the Hotel Congress sign on the corner of 5th Ave. and Congress.
Broadway Road, 1900s
Undated photo looking west on Broadway Road from the Santa Rita Hotel in Tucson. The cross street with man on horseback is Stone Ave. Photo likely from the early 1900s, since the Santa Rita was finished in 1904.
Congress St., 1920
Congress Street in Tucson, looking west from 6th Avenue in 1920.
Park Avenue, 1952
Definitely not a safe place to walk: Park Avenue at the Southern Pacific RR tracks in 1952, looking north into the Lost Barrio in Tucson. Park now crosses under the railroad tracks and links with Euclid Ave.
Electric street cars
Electric street cars replaced horse-drawn street cars in Tucson, 1906.
Toole Ave., 1958
City Laundry Co. of Tucson occupied the historic building at right, at 79 E. Toole Ave., since 1915. Prior to 1915, it was a brewery. It was one the oldest buildings in downtown Tucson. The building at left fronting Council Street was built by City Laundry in 1928 and ultimately became the main plant. Both buildings were demolished in 1958 to make way for a parking lot.
Stone Ave., 1971
Updated
The lights of businesses on Stone Avenue in downtown Tucson, looking south from Ventura Street in July, 1971.
22nd Street, 1962
Traffic tie-ups like this one in June, 1962, happened several times a day on 22nd Street at the Southern Pacific Railroad tracks in Tucson. Most of the motorists in this picture had to wait 10 minutes for the two-train switching operation. An overpass solved the problem in 1965.
Benson Highway, 1972
This stretch of the Benson highway near South Palo Verde Road was bypassed after Interstate 10 was opened in 1969. It was just another string of businesses along the road that struggled to survive on August 14, 1972. The four-mile stretch was once a vital thoroughfare before the interstate system was created.
Church Ave, 1966
Greyhound bus depot, left, was located on the northwest corner of Broadway Boulevard and Church Avenue around February 1966.
Campbell Ave., 1960
Gridlocked traffic on Glenn Street, east of Campbell Avenue as thousands of people attended the opening of the new $2 million Campbell Plaza Shopping Center on April 7, 1960. Originally, the parking facilities was designed to handle 850 vehicles but it was overflowing for the event. The plaza is situated on 18 acres and has 18 tenants.
Interstate 19, 1964
Looking south on the Nogales Interstate Highway (now I-19) at the Ajo Way overpass on July 20, 1964.
Meyer Avenue, 1966
Street scene of South Meyer Avenue looking south from West Congress Street on June 26, 1966. All the buildings were demolished as part of the city's urban renewal project in the 1960s and 70s.
Cortaro Road, 1978
Cortaro General Store on the northwest corner of Cortaro Road and I-10 in December, 1978.
Congress St., 1967
A man crosses East Congress Street at Arizona Avenue as this portion up to Fifth Avenue was falling on hard times with only one small shop still in business on May 3, 1967.
Stone Avenue, 1955
The Stone Avenue widening project between Drachman and Lester streets in April, 1955. A Pioneer Constructors pneumatic roller is used to compact the gravel base for an 80-foot roadway. The four-block project cost $37,500.
US 84A in Tucson, 1954
Westbound SR84A (now I-10) at Congress Street in 1954. In 1948, the Arizona State Highway Department approved the Tucson Controlled Access Highway, a bypass around downtown Tucson. It was named State Route 84A, and connected Benson Highway (US 80) with the Casa Grande Highway (US 84). By 1961, it was reconstructed as Interstate 10.
Grant Road, 1962
The new Grant Road underpass at the Southern Pacific RR in December, 1962, as seen looking west on Grant Road east of the tracks and Interstate 10. The Tucson Gas and Electric generating station (no longer there) is at right.
Grant Road, 1966
Grant Road, looking west at Campbell Ave. in 1966.
Old Nogales Highway, 1966
Old Nogales Highway near Ruby Road in July, 1956.
Oracle Road, 1925
This is a 1925 photo of the All Auto Camp on 2650 N Oracle Rd at Jacinto which featured casitas with the names of a state on the buildings. T
Oracle Road, 1950
This is a 1950 photo of the North Oracle Road bridge where it originally crossed over the Rillito River, west of the current bridge.
Oracle Road, 1979
Area in 1979 along North Oracle Road near the entrance of the Oracle Road Self Storage at 4700 N Oracle Rd near the Rillito River which would now be north of the Tucson Mall. There is no apparent record of the Superior Automatic and Self Service Car Wash.
Oracle Road, 1975
Oracle Road, looking south from Suffolk Drive, in March, 1975. Then, it was a four-lane state highway on Pima County land. It was annexed by Oro Valley more than 30 years later.
36th St., 1956
The Palo Verde Overpass south of Tucson (Southern Pacific RR tracks), looking East on 36th Street, in 1956.
Interstate 10, 1966
Large billboards used to line the area along Interstate 10 (South Freeway) between West 22nd and West Congress Streets on May 5, 1966.
Catalina Highway, 1967
Snow clogs the Catalina Highway to Mt. Lemmon at 5,400 feet elevation on Feb. 18, 1967. Rock slides up ahead kept motorists from going further.
Speedway Blvd., 1968
The new Gil's Chevron Service Station at 203 E Speedway on the northeast corner at North Sixth Avenue was open for business in March 1968. The photo is looking toward the southeast.
Catalina Highway, 1955
The Mt. Lemmon Highway on May 18, 1955.
Tanque Verde Road, 1950s
In this undated photo taken in the late 1950s, the Tanque Verde Bridge over the Pantano Wash was allowing traffic to make its way toward the northeast side of town.
Craycroft and I-10, 1966
The TTT Truck Terminal at Craycroft Road and Benson Highway in Tucson in June, 1966. It's a mile east of the original, built in 1954.
Congress St., 1980
Congress Street in Tucson, looking east from the Chase Bank building at Stone Ave. in August, 1980.
Silverbell Road, 1975
Silverbell Road and Scenic Drive in Marana, looking south-southwest in 1975.
Interstate 10, 1962
Interstate 10 (referred to as the "Tucson freeway" in newspapers at the time) under construction at Speedway Blvd. in the early 1960s. By Summer 1962, completed freeway sections allowed travelers to go from Prince Road to 6th Ave. The non-stop trip to Phoenix as still a few years away.
Alvernon Way, 1982
This is a July 2, 1982 photo of flooding along a Tucson street. Might be North Alvernon Way near Glenn Street.
6th Ave, 1960s
The Tucson Fire Department's Station No. 1 was once on the 100 block of South Sixth Avenue, across the street from the Pueblo Hotel and Apartments in the late 1960s. The fire station had been on the site from as early as 1909 and was next door to the Tucson Stables, which had a livery and sold feed for horses. The historic Santa Rita Hotel rises up behind the fire station. The entire block is now the Tucson Electric Power headquarters.
Ruthrauff Road, 1975
Shown in 1975, owboys drive 250 cattle down a frontage road near Ruthrauff Road in Tucson toward the finish line of "The Last Cattle Drive," a 350-mile journey that began in Willcox. The drive ended at the Nelson Livestock Aucions yard, 455 N. Highway Drive. The cattle was sold with proceeds going to the Muscular Dystrophy Assosciation.
Main Ave., 1969
The newly aligned South Main Ave swerved its way along a barren stretch of landscape on May 9, 1969. Note the Redondo Towers in the background.
Congress St., 1970
Traffic along West Congress Street near the Santa Cruz River moves along on July 24, 1970. City authorities had decided to replace the bridge starting in the fall.
