With Arizona’s Sixth Congressional District Congressman Juan Ciscomani distinguishing himself by all the votes he has taken for Donald Trump that hurt the people he represents, JoAnna Mendoza, a battle-tested retired Marine Corps Drill Instructor, is ready to step in and provide servant leadership to help her constituents overcome the pain inflicted by the current Republican incumbent and the Oval Office occupant he blindly supports.
Knowing what it is like to live in rural poverty and to serve causes bigger than herself, JoAnna Mendoza, if elected to the U.S. House of Representatives this November, will pursue an agenda that focuses on affordability, water security, strengthening health care, creating high-paying jobs, public safety and border security, good governance, and protecting Democracy.
Sergeant Mendoza graciously interviewed with Blog for Arizona to discuss her candidacy for Arizona’s Sixth Congressional District.
The questions and her responses are below.
Please tell the readers at least two reasons you want to run for the Arizona House Seat in CD Six.
“There are so many reasons…people are struggling. They can’t afford gas. They can’t afford groceries. Health care is on the line. There’s a war in Iran.”
“But this race is about bringing servant leadership to the district. After spending 20 years in the Marine Corps and the Navy, I took an oath to protect and uphold the Constitution of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic, and we see that our country and our Democracy are under threat. I’m answering the call to serve again.”
“Over two terms now, Ciscomani has taken some really horrible votes against people in our district — like the One Big Beautiful Bill. He voted for that. He claims he’s bipartisan. He claims that he doesn’t work for party bosses; that he works for us, but he votes with leadership 100% of the time. Ciscomani was the deciding vote on the One Big Beautiful Bill, which has taken SNAP away from close to 500,000 people in Arizona. And it doesn’t stop there. The hits keep coming.”
“It’s about bringing that servant leadership back to our district and making sure that our families, our seniors, our veterans are being taken care of.”
Please tell the readers of CD Six at least two reasons why you would be a better representative for them than Mr. Ciscomani.
“I would make sure that I answer to the constituency of this district, to the people that I’ve been elected to serve, and not to party bosses like Ciscomani.”
“There were thousands of jobs that were supposed to come to the state of Arizona from clean energy investments, and those were clawed back… [and] Juan Ciscomani stayed silent…because he lacks a spine. His votes, the actions that he has taken — are a betrayal, because he’s gone around saying that he’s going to not vote to take SNAP or Medicaid away…but then he goes ahead and he votes for it.”
What are at least three issues you will run on in the general election?
“When we first launched this campaign…we went around the district. We hit a lot of the smaller, rural communities as well, and what we consistently heard is that the price of everything is too expensive. You go to the grocery store, and especially in these smaller grocery stores that rely on local support. You’re looking at anywhere between $21 and $42 for a can of [baby formula]. We’ve talked to folks everywhere now [about the] price of gas. The war in Iran is not just about the price of gas. It’s also the human cost. This district has a lot of veterans, a lot of military families. Frankly, they’re terrified.”
“Juan Ciscomani voted against the ACA subsidies, which caused premiums to increase for people who get their healthcare on the marketplace, and it’s not affordable. I mean, anywhere from several hundred dollars to over $1,000 or more are people paying, and they can’t afford it.”
You want to give a comment on rural hospitals in your district?
“Yeah. Because of the One Big Beautiful Bill and the cuts there, we know that services that are offered in rural hospitals are at risk. There’s already one hospital that’s closed in the district. And we’re expected to see more. There are real, real implications and impacts that these bills are having on people and Ciscomani is happily voting for them.”
Please explain two ways your campaign will win over independent voters, moderate Republican voters, and voters who are not as well informed or do not pay as much attention to current events as people like us do.
“People are feeling the squeeze when they go to the grocery store, the gas pump, and their energy bills are through the roof. And now, Arizona’s supposed to have the largest cuts of water allocation under the federal Colorado River Plan.”
“It’s really staying focused on the issues and finding solutions. We will continue to go out to the smaller, more rural communities to share that there’s a better option in November. There’s a better person that they can vote for who’s going to bring servant leadership to the district. Being focused on the issues, lowering costs, making sure people have access to affordable health care, ensuring that our borders are secure, and that our police departments have the resources they need to be able to keep our community safe are going to be what people are going to be focused on and they want elected officials that are going to keep a laser focus on the things that will help improve their lives.
Would you like to expand on your thoughts on the servant leader?
“In the Marine Corps, the leader is responsible for the troops. It’s about taking care of the people that you serve, that you lead, and that’s the same kind of leadership that I plan to bring to Washington. We need people to knock on doors. We need people to make phone calls. If you can give, give. If you want to get involved and they know what’s at stake, you can go to my website, joannamendoza.com.”
Please click here to find out more about JoAnna Mendoza and her candidacy for Arizona’s Sixth Congressional District.
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