Republican Rep. Juan Ciscomani wins reelection to Arizona US House seat

By The Associated Press

FILE - Rep. Juan Ciscomani, R-Ariz., speaks during a news conference, June 15, 2023, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib, File)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Mariam Zuhaib]

PHOENIX (AP) — Republican Rep. Juan Ciscomani won reelection to a U.S. House seat in southeastern Arizona in a rematch that pitted him against the Democrat he narrowly beat two years ago.

Ciscomani defeated Democrat Kirsten Engel in the race for Arizona’s 6th Congressional District, which runs from Tucson east to the New Mexico state line and includes a stretch of the Arizona-Mexico border.

With Ciscomani’s win, Republicans have enough seats to control the U.S. House, completing the party’s sweep into power and securing their hold on U.S. government alongside President-elect Donald Trump.

“Now, it is time to get to work,” Ciscomani said in a statement Wednesday after Engel called him to concede, but before The Associated Press declared a winner.

“Our country is facing big challenges and I am ready to continue tackling these issues head-on,” he said. “Our top priorities — securing our border, lowering costs, and ensuring that our veterans and seniors are protected and valued – are essential to the strength and stability of our district and country.”

Engel wrote on the social platform X, “The voters have made their decision and we must respect it – I will not be the next Representative for Arizona’s 6th Congressional District. While we came up short, I couldn’t be prouder of the work we’ve put in.”

Ciscomani was an aide to former Republican Gov. Doug Ducey. He immigrated from Mexico as a child and calls border enforcement his top priority but has distanced himself from Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric.

Engel, a law professor at the University of Arizona and a former state legislator, has pointed out Ciscomani rejected a major bipartisan border bill i n February that would have overhauled the asylum system and given the president new powers to expel migrants when asylum claims become overwhelming.

Voter registration in the district is closely divided among Democrats, Republicans and independents, although the GOP has a slight advantage.

Ciscomani won his first term in 2022 when he beat Engel by over 5,200 votes.

With Ciscomani’s win this election, the state’s House delegation is unchanged with six Republicans and three Democrats.