PHOENIX — The Arizona Capitol Times and Nobel Predictive Insights teamed on a survey to determine the 50 biggest names in Arizona politics, and the candidates vying to represent Graham, Greenlee and Cochise counties are virtually neck-and-neck.
Incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Juan Ciscomani is ranked No. 23, with a 24 percent overall favorable rating (9 percent rate him very favorable and 15 percent somewhat favorable). However, 59 percent of respondents said they had either not heard of him or have no opinion of him.
Ciscomani’s challenger in 2024, Democrat Kirsten Engel, is ranked No. 39, with a 22 percent overall favorable rating (4 percent very favorable and 18 percent somewhat favorable). Like her opponent, Engel has a significant number of respondents — 61 percent — who have never heard of her or have no opinion of her.
Democratic U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego was ranked No. 1 in the Power Ranking, followed by U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly at No. 2 and Cindy McCain, wife of the late Sen. John McCain at No. 3.
Gallego has a 41 percent overall favorable rating (17 percent very favorable and 24 percent somewhat favorable), and a 22 percent overall unfavorable rating. Gallego is running for U.S. Senate in 2024.
Independent Krysten Sinema, the incumbent U.S. Senator who Gallego is seeking to unseat, is ranked No. 9, with a 45 percent overall favorable rating and a 35 percent overall unfavorable rating.
On the Republican side of the Senate race, Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb is ranked No. 11 with a 33 percent overall favorable rating and a 23 percent overall unfavorable rating. Kari Lake is ranked last at No. 50, with a 38 percent overall favorable rating, and 46 percent of respondents ranking her overall unfavorable.
