Greetings everyone. Excited to bring to you today Jo Mendoza who is running in AZ-06. She is another one of our terrific candidates in a very strong position to flip a battleground House district blue. Jo was one of the very first candidates we endorsed this cycle and it’s great to have her back.
I love this opening graph from her campaign bio:
At just 17, Jo answered the call to serve, enlisting in the U.S. Navy before joining the U.S. Marine Corps. Her 20-year military career was defined by leadership, sacrifice, and service, marked by her role as a Marine Corps Drill Instructor, deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, and leading the next generation of Marines. Jo stood on the frontlines for our country; now she’s ready to stand up for Southern Arizona.
Trump won AZ-6 district by 1 point in 2024 (via Downballot), and the Cook Report has its 2026 Partisan Voter Index (PVI) as even between Ds and Rs. Jo is challenging incumbent Rep. Juan Ciscomani, who won the district by only 2.5 points in 2024, 50% to 47.5% in what was a good year for Republicans in Arizona. With the national battleground moving by at least 7 points towards us this cycle AZ-6 is one of those districts we have a very high likelihood of flipping in November.
You can support Jo by contributing to our original Winning the House campaign or by giving directly to her campaign directly. You can learn more about Jo by visiting her website, where you can also sign up to volunteer from wherever you are. Our community has raised Jo over $125,000 so far this cycle, and she ended the second quarter trailing Ciscomani modestly in cash-on-hand but having outraised him by more than $2 million this year - an impressive achievement. She is raising money at a much faster rate than her opponent which means she is going to be able to - with our help - end strong.
While we talked tariffs, war, health care, and more, I thought the most interesting part of discussion was around rising temperatures, water, and the opportunity Democrats now have to build a comprehensive approach to climate change, energy policy, and community resilience:
Well, Arizona has been in this constant state of drought for quite some time now. We get a lot of our water from the Central Arizona Project, which comes from the Colorado River, and because of climate and extreme weather we're seeing less and less of that water. And more drought. Pinal County, where I grew up, took one of the first cuts — the agriculture community took one of the first cuts as we started to see water levels deplete. In Arizona we make the joke that water is for fighting over and whiskey is for drinking — because it's so precious. Water is life. And when you add in the tribal communities and the water rights they have, this will determine whether farms survive, how expensive groceries continue to become, and we know they're already up because of tariffs and other issues, and whether our kids and future generations can raise a family here. So it's a huge issue.
And Ciscomani has done absolutely nothing on it — as a matter of fact, he voted against a huge amount of appropriation that would have gone to the lower basin states to help with water conservation, and now that money has just been frozen. Here we are. It's a top concern for a lot of folks, and it's not a partisan issue either. Republicans, Democrats, Independents are all concerned about water…..……….And talking about energy, the rising cost of energy, we've had record-breaking heat here in Arizona. I spoke to an older woman a couple of weeks ago, right before the primary when we were making calls to voters. She's from my hometown. She has a swamp cooler and hasn't been able to upgrade her cooling system because it's really expensive. And the funding for programs like low-income home energy assistance have been clawed back. So people are looking at several hundred dollars for their energy bill — my own bill last month was $391, Simon. That is absolutely unacceptable, especially with the rising cost of everything else. So it's definitely a top priority for me, and I'll continue that work in Congress when I get there.
Enjoy this update on one of our very best pick up opportunities this cycle with one of our favorite candidates, JoAnna (Jo) Mendoza. Please share the discussion with others you think might be interested, hit “like” so more will see it, and keep working hard all. We have a country to save, and elections like this one in AZ-06 to win, together! - Simon
Biography - JoAnna Mendoza, Democratic Nominee In Arizona’s 6th Congressional District
At just 17, Jo answered the call to serve, enlisting in the U.S. Navy before joining the U.S. Marine Corps. Her 20-year military career was defined by leadership, sacrifice, and service, marked by her role as a Marine Corps Drill Instructor, deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, and leading the next generation of Marines. Jo stood on the frontlines for our country; now she’s ready to stand up for Southern Arizona.
After two decades in military uniform, Jo returned home to raise her son, Aidan. She is a proud single mother by choice. As a single mom, she has chosen to lead by example by continuing her education after service, obtaining her Master’s Degree in Leadership from Grand Canyon University. She brought the same courage and determination to her community, working to ensure that veterans, working families, and rural Arizonans have an authentic voice. Jo has served as a nonprofit leader, veteran advocate, congressional staffer, and policy expert, helping families access benefits, organizing community programs, and fighting for common-sense solutions.
Jo’s life has always been about service, rooted in Southern Arizona values and shaped by the working families of Pinal County. She’s lived the struggle, fought the battles, and knows what it means to deliver results, not excuses.
In Congress, JoAnna Mendoza will bring Arizona values of honesty, integrity, and accountability to Washington. She’s committed to practical, unifying solutions that lower costs for families, expand access to healthcare and education, protect earned benefits, strengthen national security, and uphold responsible gun ownership. JoAnna will protect Arizona’s water and natural resources, tackle climate change, ensure transparent and responsive government, invest in the next generation, and defend democracy and equal rights for all.
In every conflict our nation has faced, Marines have been the first to fight. JoAnna Mendoza stands ready to take that same fighting spirit to Congress, to be the champion and the voice Arizona’s communities deserve.
