Remarks by Kirsten Engel, candidate for US Congress in CD6, on April 21, 2024.
This is an incredible turnout, and I think it just shows the momentum we’ve got to flip this seat and ensure democracy and, gosh, functionality for the U.S. Congress. Thank you so much for being here and for all of your support. We call this Congressional District 6, but we all know this is Gabby [Giffords’] seat.
This seat features the people of Southern Arizona from 2007 to 2012. She was so well-loved and did so much. You were a real pioneer in Congress. She’s probably working on immigration reform and the border, championing resources for the mentally ill, and being an early supporter of solar energy, science, and technology. You were a real pathblazer on so many things.
This was just one of Gabby’s starter careers. Did you hear today? Folks, we have some work to do. But we can do it. So many of you, I know, supported me when I ran in the midterm elections, and I want to thank you so much for what you did. The phone calls, the knocking on doors, the postcards, and the checks that you wrote for our campaign.
One of the closest congressional races in the country
And we came so incredibly close to winning. We missed winning by just a few thousand votes. 5, 232. But who’s counting, right? Who’s counting? 1.4%. It was one of the closest congressional races in the country and one of the last to be called, which has created a foundation for 2024. We did that while being outspent over six to one.
We’ve got the support of the National Democrats. We’re on that coveted red-to-blue list. Actually, we are the only congressional race in Arizona on that red-to-blue list of most flippable.
But we cannot take a single vote for granted. 5,000 votes may not sound like a lot. I think last time, it was out of 350,000. But we’re going to have to fight for every single vote. This is a very evenly divided district. It’s about a third Democrats, a third Independents, and a third Republicans.
So, we’re going to have to fight for every vote from that young person who feels like their vote doesn’t count. We’re going to have to fight for the ranchers, the farmers, the veterans.
The inner-city dwellers, the folks who feel left out, are people from marginalized communities who feel overlooked. We’re going to have to empower them, bring them into the fold, and make sure they know we are speaking to them and want to represent them.
How are we going to close that gap? What are we going to do differently this time? Here’s my strategy. First of all, we’ve got to lead with our values. We’ve got to contrast our values with those of my opponents, Ciscomani and the GOP. We need to connect with the voters. And marshal the resources to make sure we get the vote out.
1. Abortion access
So, let’s start with those values. The values I want to champion, which I believe are your values as well, are the values of freedom. They’re American values of freedom, of opportunity, of safety and security. And of good old fashion, roll up our sleeves and let’s get something done. And let’s contrast that with the values I’m seeing of the Republicans, which I would say is control. It is tolerance, if not incitement of political violence, and total dysfunction and chaos.
And there’s no more quintessential issue that I think illustrates our value of freedom and their value of control than the issue of abortion access. Every person must have the freedom to make their own healthcare decisions. Free of the grandstanding politicians who want to control their lives.
This is an issue that we have to fight for, and we have to fight for it with our Trump-appointed judges. This is a healthcare decision that should be up to the pregnant person, their doctor, and their family. As a woman, as a mom of a teenager, she’s coming home tomorrow. So excited.
This issue is very personal to me. It’s personal to all of us. And we have to fight for it. It is incredible. that the Arizona Supreme Court has taken us back to 1864. A criminal abortion bans at a time when women didn’t have the right to vote or even own property. It is outrageous.
And we need to vote to overturn it. I am going to champion that. There was no clearer, really starker issue between me and Ciscomani than that issue of abortion access. Ciscomani cheered when Roe vs. Wade was overturned. He supported leaving it to the states. He may be saying, Oh, no, I didn’t mean this, but he’s on record.
He supported state law, whether it was the 1864 ban or the 15-week abortion ban, which doesn’t even have exceptions for rape or incest. Since he’s been in Congress, he has been voting for national abortion restrictions, from medication abortion to restrictions upon our military women. So just think about that.
Women are fighting, putting their lives on the line for our freedom, and we can’t give them the freedom to make their own healthcare decisions. It’s really outrageous.
2. Prevention of gun violence.
There are so many issues that we could put under the umbrella of safety and security, which we all care about. And let’s put prevention of gun violence.
We’re not going after people’s guns in that safety and security umbrella. We’re not going after people’s guns. We’re going after safe communities, and hats off to the Moms Demand Action.
People who have been advocating up there in Congress, testifying, going in front of our state legislature, and this is an issue that we have made progress on. You have made progress. That bipartisan Safer Communities Act is incredible. Just last week, the administration made some big progress in closing that gun show loophole.
And look, I’m a mom. And I haven’t been through what so many of you have been through and what Gabby’s been through. But I’ve been on the other end of the phone with a panicked child who is hiding under their desk in a classroom when there’s a report of a gunman outside. And you don’t want to be on the other end of that phone.
We don’t want to be afraid to go to the bowling alley or to the grocery store. We want to make sure that people are safe. Safe storage laws, closing those ridiculous loopholes, protecting people from suicide attempts that may be successful but not really well thought through. Keeping assault weapons out of the hands of people who are not in the military.
Military rifles are for those who are engaged in war. And there are so many other things.
3. Securing our water future.
You know that my profession as a teacher and as an environmental attorney. I would also put under that umbrella of safety and security, securing our water future and protecting ourselves from climate change.
Which is also a boon for our economy. These are all ways we can save and assure the security of our communities and of our economy here in the Southwest.