Rep. Juan Ciscomani, R-Ariz., has won the Republican primary nomination in Arizona's southeastern battleground district, a seat Democrats are targeting in the upcoming midterm elections. Ciscomani, a moderate seeking his third House term, ran unopposed and secured President Donald Trump's endorsement.
The district, which encompasses the suburbs of Tucson and extends to the U.S.-Mexico border, is considered one of the nation's most closely contested House races. Donald Trump won the swing seat by less than 1 percentage point in 2024, after losing it by a similar margin in 2020.
On the Democratic side, Marine veteran and political consultant JoAnna Mendoza also ran unopposed in her party's primary. Mendoza has faced recent scrutiny over her social media activity, including following OnlyFans models and self-described witches on her official campaign Instagram account. Some of these accounts reportedly featured sexually explicit content. Remarks from 2020 have also resurfaced, in which Mendoza stated she would decriminalize prostitution in response to a question about the challenges faced by transgender women of color. She has also been characterized as a "far-left lobbyist" by the NRCC.
The Cook Political Report rates Ciscomani's re-election bid as a "toss-up." Ciscomani previously served as a senior advisor to former Arizona Governor Doug Ducey and the Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. He is a member of the centrist Problem Solvers Caucus and the Main Street Caucus. In 2024, Ciscomani defeated Democrat Kirsten Engel by over 3 percentage points. He was first elected to the seat in 2022, defeating Engel by fewer than 6,000 votes, and is noted as the first naturalized citizen from Mexico elected to Congress.
Democrats have included Mendoza in their "Red to Blue" candidate program, signaling their view of her as a strong contender. The RNC Chairman has discussed the Democratic Party's strategy of promoting candidates perceived as radical in an effort to flip seats across the country in the upcoming midterm elections.