Democratic candidate Ann Kirkpatrick debated Republican rival Lea Marquez-Peterson at the Arizona Congressional District 2 Debate on October 9 at the Tucson Jewish Community Center hosted by Arizona Public Media.
Voters have a clear-cut choice: Marquez-Peterson would be a clone of Martha McSally, who abandoned the district, and Kirkpatrick would bring back progressive values for the first time in 4 years.
The chart below displays each candidate’s answers to questions from a panel of news reporters. An empty box indicates that the question was directed to one candidate only.
| Issue | Kirkpatrick | Marquez-Peterson |
| Accessibility to voters | Held closed campaign events, invited a secret visit by Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan, doesn’t respond to interview requests from the media. | |
| Border security | Add funding to the Border Patrol to hire more agents, use drones and lock up more criminals | Build Trump’s wall, more funding for Border Patrol |
| How to respond to anti-Mexican bigotry in the White House | Separating children at the border “is a horrible policy, a black eye on our history. We need border policies that are humane.” | Didn’t answer the question. Instead said Trump’s wall makes sense, called for more funding to the Border Patrol. |
| Pathway to citizenship for DACA recipients and Dreamers | Yes | No |
| “How will you be different from Martha McSally?” | Didn’t answer the question. Instead, she talked about expressing concern about the effect of tariffs on small business to the Trump administration. | |
| Gun safety | Opposes gun violence since shooting of mentor Gabby Giffords in 2011, endorsed by Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America | Pro-Second Amendment, shouldn’t penalize legal gun owners. |
| Climate change: “Do you accept the science of climate change?” | “I believe the science behind climate change; the defense department believes it. It’s the biggest existential threat to the planet.” We need to lower fossil fuel emissions, make Tucson the solar capital of the world. | Didn’t answer the question. Said, “I think it’s a delicate balance between growing a company and environmental regulations.” |
| Impeach Trump? | “We need Mueller to do his investigation, we need to see his report, Congress must hold hearings and we need to let the people know about the facts. It must be a thoughtful, careful, very studious process.” | Referred to an audio where Kirkpatrick said she would vote to impeach Trump. |
| Immigration reform | Pass comprehensive immigration reform, free the Border Patrol to focus on stopping drug trafficking, create a legal way for families to want to work in the US. | Impose merit-based immigration criteria, build Trump’s wall. |
| Access to healthcare | Allow people to buy into Medicare and pay a premium for the coverage, require Medicare to negotiate prescription drug costs, address the opioid crisis by making pharmacists part of the treatment team. | Create insurance coverage across state lines and allow for association plans. |
| Arizona water shortage | Create a statewide drought plan, hold hearings in Congress to create a drought plan for all Western states. | Decisions about water need to be made locally. |
There was no mention of Marquez-Peterson’s Chapter 7 bankruptcy, where she dumped $3.2 million in debt, tax liens, judgments, loans and lawsuits. See GOP Congress Candidate Lea “Chapter 7” Peterson Squirms on Trump Question.
Both candidates supported funding for Davis–Monthan Air Force Base and Fort Huachuca and would oppose efforts to close the bases
Kirkpatrick accused Marquez-Peterson of wanting to cut Medicare and Social Security, but the Republican denied it.
Kirkpatrick charged that Marquez-Peterson opposes a women’s right to choose health care options, and the Republican let the accusation stand.
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The Arizona Republic reports that the GOP is doing triage and pulling TV time from Marquez Peterson in CD2. She’s done. With Ann Kirkpatrick ahead in CD2 polling, GOP pulls TV time in Tucson, https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/arizona/2018/10/10/ann-kirkpatrick-ahead-cd-2-polling-gop-pulls-tv-time-tucson/1595395002/
Current voter registration totals in CD 2 (Cochise County and part of Pima County):
Democrats 141,760
Republicans 136, 129
Independents 126,045
Vote wisely on or before 11/6/18. Early voting has started and early ballots go out today.
Video of this debate online at AZPM: https://media.azpm.org/master/doc/ua/publicaffairs/yourvote18cd2.html