Az CD6: Ciscomani Regains Ground as Engel Narrows Lead on Sunday

U.S. Representative Juan Ciscomani’s lead over his Democratic opponent, Kirsten Engel, in Arizona’s Congressional District 6 has seen significant fluctuations as new vote totals are reported. After initially gaining a 2,415-vote lead, Ciscomani’s margin shrank to 1,230 votes. However, the count from GOP-leaning Cochise County later bolstered his lead back to 2,093 votes.

Once trailing by approximately 14,000 votes early in the week, Ciscomani and Engel have alternated leads as ballots are tallied from various counties, including Pima, Cochise, Pinal, Greenlee, and Graham. Following the latest updates, Ciscomani accumulated 180,913 votes while Engel received 178,820.

In an unexpected twist, Green Party candidate Athena Eastwood has garnered over 8,000 votes, exceeding the gap between the major party candidates. Notably, Pima County contributed 6,589 of those votes.

The outcome of this competitive race remains uncertain, as a significant number of early ballots are yet to be counted. Pima County officials estimated on Sunday that 79,442 ballots still await processing, though not all pertain to District 6. Meanwhile, Cochise County reported an estimated 27,400 uncounted ballots, with smaller numbers in Pinal, Graham, and Greenlee counties.

Both candidates acknowledged that many votes are still outstanding and that declaring victory at this stage would be premature. This election is a rematch of the 2022 contest, which Ciscomani won by less than 2 percentage points.

The voter demographics in Southern Arizona show that 74 percent reside in Pima County, 12 percent in Cochise County, and about 10 percent in Pinal County, with the remaining 4 percent distributed between Graham and Greenlee counties. The district typically leans Republican, with 36 percent of voters registered with the GOP, 31 percent identifying as Democrats, and 33 percent unaffiliated with either major party.

Election officials across the district anticipate completing their vote counts next week, although technical difficulties and the need for signature verification on mail-in ballots have caused delays. A bomb threat on Election Night forced an evacuation of Cochise County’s election center, further impacting the counting process there. Cochise County is now working through an estimated 31,900 remaining ballots.

Election Day also saw threats made against officials in Pima County; however, they continued operations despite the intimidation. The unfolding situation highlights the challenges faced in tabulating votes in a contentious and closely watched election.