Ciscomani trails in election night results

For voters in eastern Tucson and communities across Southern Arizona, the race for the 6th Congressional District remained unsettled after election night, with Democrat JoAnna Mendoza holding an early lead over Republican Rep. Juan Ciscomani. The contest had not been called by Wednesday morning, and unofficial results showed Mendoza ahead by about 24,000 votes after her advantage narrowed overnight. Because the district includes both the Tucson metropolitan area and slower-reporting rural counties, residents may have to wait several days before knowing who will represent them in Congress.

Mendoza declared victory Tuesday night before the count was complete, telling supporters that her campaign had cleared its first major hurdle. “Step one, we’ve won, so goodbye Mr. Ciscomani,” she said to a cheering crowd. Ciscomani, seeking a third term, did not concede. After the first results showed Mendoza ahead, he urged his supporters to remain patient and warned that the race could move up and down as additional ballots were counted. He said the outcome could take several days to determine.

The district stretches across a broad and politically mixed section of Southern Arizona. It includes all of Greenlee County, portions of Pima, Pinal, Cochise and Graham counties, much of eastern Tucson, and communities in southeastern Arizona. Its electorate is roughly divided into thirds among Republicans, Democrats and independent voters. That balance, along with the district’s combination of urban, suburban and rural communities, has produced close elections since congressional boundaries were redrawn in 2022.

Early returns were particularly favorable to Mendoza in Pima County, where the district’s urban population is concentrated. Rural ballots typically arrive more slowly, however, making the initial numbers an incomplete picture of the final result. The district’s recent history reinforces that caution. Ciscomani defeated Democrat Kirsten Engel in 2022 by more than 5,200 votes, and he won their 2024 rematch by fewer than 11,000 votes, or about 1.5 percent. The 2022 race was not called until six days after Election Day, while the 2024 contest took eight days.

The candidates spent the final day of the campaign appealing to voters around the Tucson area and beyond. Ciscomani visited multiple voting locations and cast his ballot Tuesday afternoon in Marana, accompanied by his parents, wife and other relatives. He argued that voters should judge him by the work he has completed during nearly four years in office, including his position on the House Appropriations Committee. He said the district needs an elected official who can deliver tangible results and maintained that his record had earned support from Republicans, independents and some Democrats.

Mendoza voted early by mail, then began Tuesday in her hometown of Eloy before traveling to the Tucson metropolitan area. She campaigned with Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly and continued canvassing with supporters into the afternoon. Her message focused on electing officials who, in her view, would take action on behalf of district residents, protect the Constitution and serve as a check on the administration in Washington. The campaign was Mendoza’s first run for public office, and she compared the intensity of the experience to her military deployments to Iraq or Afghanistan.

At her election night gathering, Mendoza also connected her campaign to her family’s financial struggles and her experience as the daughter of farmworkers in Eloy. She described growing up in poverty and joining the Marine Corps to pursue better opportunities. She said that taking her 10-year-old son to an emergency room the night before the election made her think about parents who lack health insurance and cannot afford similar care. Mendoza said those experiences would shape the priorities she brings to Washington if elected.

Ciscomani, who was born in Mexico and is the first naturalized U.S. citizen from Mexico elected to represent Arizona in the House, emphasized his own personal history while addressing supporters. He thanked volunteers and family members in both English and Spanish, and reflected on having been elected twice already. He described the country as a place where people can create opportunities through hard work, while urging his supporters not to lose confidence during the count. By about 10 p.m., his election night gathering had ended, with workers removing banners and dismantling the event platforms as the early returns continued to favor Mendoza.

The race also reflected broader divisions among voters over national politics and the direction of government. Susan Shoemaker, a registered Republican from Oro Valley, said she voted for Ciscomani because she had met him, liked his positions and believed he was straightforward. Tucson resident Michael Prochnau voted for Mendoza, citing concerns about the administration’s handling of the economy, the war in Iran and corruption. He said Ciscomani’s alignment with the administration influenced his decision, while Mendoza’s background and positions on taxation and immigration appealed to him despite her lack of congressional experience.

In neighboring Congressional District 7, Democrat Adelita Grijalva was reelected after the Associated Press called her race against Republican Daniel Butierez at about 8:30 p.m. That district includes southwestern Arizona, and Grijalva previously won a 2025 special election to succeed her father, former Rep. Raúl Grijalva, who died in March 2025. In District 6, though, the immediate next step is continued counting and verification of ballots from across the region. Until those votes are processed, Mendoza’s early lead remains unofficial, and Tucson area voters will have to wait to learn whether the district is headed toward a change in congressional representation or another narrow Ciscomani victory.