TUCSON — It appears the candidates for the congressional seat that represents Graham, Greenlee and Cochise counties will meet in a head-to-head debate.
Perhaps more than one.
Both campaigns confirmed to Gila Valley Central that the candidates —Republican incumbent Juan Ciscomani and Democratic challenger Kirsten Engel — intend to participate in a debate televised by Arizona Public Broadcasting on Tuesday, Aug. 27.
“I look forward to having an honest and frank discussion with my opponent about the issues I am hearing from voters all across this district,” Engel said in a prepared statement. “Since being elected to office, Juan Ciscomani has done nothing but put the needs of Washington special interests and MAGA extremists over the needs of Arizonans. We are sick and tired of the dysfunction, and Southern Arizona deserves better representation than Juan Ciscomani.”
Engel’s statement also claimed that Ciscomani refused to debate when the two ran for the open seat in 2022.
In an e-mail to Gila Valley Central, Daniel Scarpinato with the Ciscomani campaign, said, “We have agreed to that debate and at least two others, including one in Sierra Vista. Last cycle, Kirsten Engel refused to debate. We are hoping she doesn’t try to dodge the voters yet again. They deserve answers from her about her extreme positions on denying we have an immigration crisis and supporting efforts to defund the police.”
Officials with the Sky Island Regional Partnership — formerly the Sierra Vista Chamber of Commerce — told Gila Valley Central they have offered to host a debate at the Cochise College Student Union on Wednesday, Aug. 28, at 5 p.m. However, they have not yet received formal confirmation of attendance from both campaigns.
Arizona’s 6th Congressional District is considered one of the most competitive in the nation. In 2022, Ciscomani defeated Engel by just 5,232 votes.
Editor’s note: This story was updated at 11:19 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024, to remove Sierra Vista from the headline.
