Juan Ciscomani has won the Republican primary and will seek a second term in Congress representing Arizona’s 6th district in November after early numbers show a significant lead over Republican challenger Kathleen Winn.
The Associated Press called the race for Ciscomani shortly after 9 p.m. Tuesday, with about 65% of the vote counted.
Numbers early Wednesday showed Ciscomani with just under 60% of votes. The results mean Ciscomani will face a rematch with the Democratic primary’s winner, Kirsten Engel in November. Engel ran unopposed in the district’s Democratic primary.
After casting his ballot at a polling center on Tuesday, Ciscomani said concerns about the border and the economy are bringing his constituents to the polls.
“This is a district that is very competitive. So, we expect things to be close. But we expect people to also look at the circumstances and say, ‘Is my life better off today than it was four years ago?’” he said. “It's going to be the economy, it's going to be the border, it's going to be actually in this region, climate. Our natural resources are very important.”
This is Ciscomani’s first time seeking re-election. Ciscomani won the seat by just over 5,000 votes in his first race against Engel in 2022. He said this cycle feels different.
“I think two years into the Biden administration, people felt that maybe things will turn around. But after four years, they're like this is not turning around, so we need some change,” he said.
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