/ Modified nov 14, 2024 8:58 a.m.

Rep. Juan Ciscomani wins reelection to Arizona US House seat

The district runs from Tucson east to the New Mexico state line and includes a stretch of the Arizona-Mexico border.

CD6 - Juan Ciscomani and Kirsten Engel Incumbent Juan Ciscomani (R - left) and challenger Kirsten Engel (D - right) discuss the issues during an Arizona Clean Elections Debate on October 8, 2024. The two candidates are battling for Arizona Congressional District 6.
Joe Rondone, Arizona Clean Elections

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.

By posting comments, you agree to our
AZPM encourages comments, but comments that contain profanity, unrelated information, threats, libel, defamatory statements, obscenities, pornography or that violate the law are not allowed. Comments that promote commercial products or services are not allowed. Comments in violation of this policy will be removed. Continued posting of comments that violate this policy will result in the commenter being banned from the site.

By submitting your comments, you hereby give AZPM the right to post your comments and potentially use them in any other form of media operated by this institution.
AZPM is a service of the University of Arizona and our broadcast stations are licensed to the Arizona Board of Regents who hold the trademarks for Arizona Public Media and AZPM. We respectfully acknowledge the University of Arizona is on the land and territories of Indigenous peoples.
The University of Arizona