Mendoza unseats Ciscomani in Arizona’s 6th District

Democrat JoAnna Mendoza is projected to defeat Republican Rep. Juan Ciscomani in Arizona’s 6th Congressional District, flipping a closely contested seat. On November 3, she had more than 57% of the vote, compared with just under 41% for Ciscomani, as preliminary results came in and ballots remained uncounted.

Mendoza’s win puts Ciscomani’s Trump-era votes on trial

JoAnna Mendoza’s projected victory over Republican Rep. Juan Ciscomani in Arizona’s 6th Congressional District puts a spotlight on the costs of his support for President Donald Trump’s spending legislation. Early returns showed Mendoza with more than 57% of the vote on November 3, while Ciscomani had just under 41%. The count was still underway.

Mendoza, who served in the Navy before becoming a Marine Corps training sergeant, campaigned on restoring services for working families, including Medicaid and SNAP food assistance. She argued that cuts to those programs would harm people who depend on them, while tax reductions in the legislation disproportionately benefit wealthier households.

Ciscomani defended the changes as a way to reduce waste and fraud and keep programs available for those in need. He also argued the tax package would bring jobs to the district. But voters in this competitive seat have now backed Mendoza’s case against a law that helped define the race.

Democrats were also leading in several other Republican-held Arizona House districts in early returns. Nationally, Democrats were expected to win enough seats to take control of the House.

Ciscomani’s defeat shows the cost of a Democratic House wave

Republican Rep. Juan Ciscomani’s projected loss to Democrat JoAnna Mendoza in Arizona’s 6th Congressional District marks another setback for Republicans in a seat they won by just 2.5 percentage points in 2024. Early returns showed Mendoza above 57% and Ciscomani just under 41% on November 3, with counting ongoing.

Ciscomani presented himself as a lawmaker able to work across party lines. He supported President Donald Trump’s spending legislation, arguing that changes to Medicaid and SNAP would curb waste and fraud and help preserve the programs for people who need them. He also said the package’s tax cuts would help create jobs in the district.

Mendoza made the legislation a central point of attack, arguing that cuts to social programs would hurt working families while tax benefits favored the wealthy. Her projected win suggests that argument resonated in a district Republicans had held narrowly.

Early results also showed Democrats ahead in several other Republican-held Arizona districts. Democrats were expected to regain control of the House nationally, though early Arizona returns did not settle every House race.