Ann Kirkpatrick

U.S. House, AZ

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A top takeover opportunity, a corrupt incumbent. GOP Rep. Rick Renzi (Ariz.-1) had already announced he wouldn’t seek another term in 2008 -- but his recent indictment on 35 counts of federal corruption has GOP House leaders publicly pressuring him to step aside. The leading Democrat to replace him is former state Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick. This is ranked as one of the top three Democratic takeover opportunities in the nation -- but Kirkpatrick must move quickly to build a war chest that will help her win the Democratic nomination.

A self-made progressive leader. Born and raised among the Apache, Ann Kirkpatrick worked her way through college and law school and was the first woman deputy county attorney in Coconino. She was elected to the Arizona House of Representatives in 2004, where she helped strengthen early childhood education, increase access to health insurance for children, and secure funding to address poverty and improve life for lower-income citizens, particularly those living on tribal land. Kirkpatrick is committed to a woman’s right to choose and sponsored a bill guaranteeing access to emergency contraceptives for victims of sexual assault.

A rabid right-wing opponent. The only Republican in this race to officially announce her candidacy is Sydney Hay, a far-right activist for the mining industry who is rabidly anti-choice. Hay is so radical, she even denounced Barry Goldwater for supporting a Martin Luther King, Jr., holiday. She is far to the right of this district’s voters, but her ability to self-finance could seriously threaten Kirkpatrick’s takeover bid. With her legislative accomplishments and experience, Kirkpatrick is the Democrats’ best hope to take over this swing seat -- but she must raise $1.5 million immediately to solidify her position as the Democratic frontrunner, and another $2 million to beat the GOP in the general election.

More About Ann Kirkpatrick

One of the most promising Democratic takeover opportunities of 2008 is in Arizona’s first congressional district, an open, GOP-held House seat being sought by Ann Kirkpatrick, a former state representative. Kirkpatrick is running to replace Republican Rep. Rick Renzi, who had already decided not to seek re-election when he was indicted earlier this year on 35 counts of fraud, money laundering, and extortion. Known for her strong record on ethics, Kirkpatrick offers voters the opportunity to move past the corrupt politics of Renzi. But with less than two months between the primary and general elections, she must raise a large campaign war chest on a short timeline to take over this Republican-held district -- especially since the Republican nominee is a wealthy, ultra-conservative mining industry lobbyist who began attacking Kirkpatrick even before she won the primary.

An Arizona native, Kirkpatrick was born in McNary and raised on Apache tribal land, where her father was a shopkeeper and her mother a school teacher. These roots and Kirkpatrick’s record of championing issues important to Native Americans will help her in a congressional district where 23 percent of the population is Native American.

After working her way through college and law school, Kirkpatrick became the first woman deputy county attorney in Coconino County and, later, a city attorney for Sedona. In 1991, Kirkpatrick founded a private law practice. She was elected to the Arizona House of Representatives in 2004, where she helped strengthen early childhood education, increase access to health insurance for children, and secure funding to address poverty and improve life for lower-income citizens, particularly those living on tribal land. She taught business law and ethics at Coconino Community College.

“I’m running for Congress to give the people of Arizona’s first district honest and ethical representation again,” says Kirkpatrick. “We need to change politics as usual in Washington. We need to end the childish partisan bickering and the corruption and cronyism. Washington needs to start working for people again and focus on what really matters -- like preserving our open spaces and way of life, while creating jobs, restoring fiscal responsibility, and improving our schools. And I bring the experience to help make it happen.”

The Political Situation

At more than 58,000 square miles, this economically diverse district is larger than the state of Pennsylvania and sprawls from the Grand Canyon to the state’s highest peak north of Flagstaff. It includes the Navajo Nation, Red Rock Country, southeastern Arizona’s rugged deserts, and luxury tourist spots like Sedona alongside some of the poorest communities in the nation. Unemployment is high, wages are low (the average annual income for Native Americans here is about $7,000), access to education and health care is limited, and only one third of the Navajo Nation has running water and electricity. Balancing economic and environmental needs is a high priority here, but voters have gotten little from their current congressional representative beyond corruption and embarrassment.

Republican Sydney Hay has been called “the Iron Lady of Arizona’s right wing.” She is the executive director of the Arizona Mining Association, representing some of the country’s largest corporate polluters. Far to the right of this swing district, she opposes abortion under all circumstances and has been endorsed by Republican National Coalition for Life, Phyllis Schlafly’s Eagle Forum, the Susan B. Anthony List, and the American Conservative Union. Once an advisor to right-wingpolitical gadfly Alan Keyes, Hay shares Keyes’s radical views on virtually every issue. She is so far to the right that she sharply criticized the late Barry Goldwater for his support in making Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday a state holiday, commenting that the GOP senator was “worse than a liberal -- he’s a liberal who’s lost it.”

Democrats have a slight registration edge in the first district, which is considered one of the likeliest House seats to switch parties in 2008. It’s a swing district whose voters chose Bush in 2004 and Democratic Gov. Janet Napolitano in 2006. Republican Renzi’s popularity in the Native American community helped him overcome the district’s Democratic tilt, and Kirkpatrick’s ties to the Apache and long history of advocacy give her an even stronger edge with this critical voting bloc. She also secured early endorsements from Napolitano, U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, former Navajo Nation President Dr. Peterson Zah, the AFL-CIO, the League of Conservation Voters, and a host of other national and local progressive organizations.

Hay has so far contributed more than $70,000 to her own campaign and has ties to big-money corporate polluters eager to have a former mining lobbyist do their bidding in Congress. Kirkpatrick faces the challenge of reaching out to farflung voters on poverty-stricken tribal lands and buying ad time in the expensive Phoenix media market -- all on a very short timeline. She must raise $2.5 million to overcome her wealthy rightwing opponent and finally give voters in Arizona’s first district effective, honorable representation in Congress.

The Issues

Kirkpatrick worked with Arizona’s Democratic governor, Janet Napolitano, to bring voluntary all-day kindergarten to Arizonans, winning $46 million in raises for teachers in Arizona during the last legislative session and securing funding to expand educational opportunities for Native Americans. “No Child Left Behind is a cute slogan -- but it’s leaving behind more children than ever before,” she says. “We need to provide schools and teachers with the support they need to reach high standards.”

As a working mother who raised two daughters, Kirkpatrick understands the challenges of balancing work and family, and supports a tax policy that “gives working people the support they need, rather than making them pinch pennies and lose out on family responsibilities.”

Kirkpatrick notes the disparity between the nation’s dependence on foreign imports (“oil, toys, pet food, or anything else you can think of, we import it all,” she says) and the loss of jobs to overseas competitors. “Our trade policies need to help us strengthen our own economy and our economic presence abroad,” she says. The nation’s economic priorities should be balancing the federal budget, putting our economy back on track, and rooting out the wasteful spending and corruption that have led to record deficits. “If middle-class Americans are forced to run a tight ship, with a balanced budget, then Congress should, too,” she says.

“We need to get our troops out of Iraq safely and as soon as possible and in consultation with commanders on the ground,” Kirkpatrick says. “Then we must honor them when they return by making sure they can get the best care there is.” The federal defense budget should emphasize rebuilding our military strength, increasing funding for our troops, and replacing old and damaged equipment from Iraq and Afghanistan. “In addition,” Kirkpatrick says, “we must rebuild our alliances around the world to address our most pressing international problem: terrorism and the defeat of Al Qaeda.”

Throughout her career, Kirkpatrick has been a champion for women and minorities, working to ensure equal pay and voting rights. She will continue these efforts in Congress. “Progress is happening at too slow a pace,” she says. “Discrimination still exists and Congress must address these concerns immediately.”

When Kirkpatrick was a prosecutor in Coconino County, there was a dearth of resources for victims of domestic violence. “There were no shelters or safe places for people to turn to,” she says. She established an advocacy program to provide a wide range of services for crime victims. She supports expanding community policing and toughening penalties for violent crimes. She will also work to bring more federal assistance to local law enforcement to battle the methamphetamine epidemic, which has infiltrated rural Arizona.

“The American health care system is in crisis,” Kirkpatrick says. “Forty-seven million Americans are without health insurance -- but all of us suffer from the skyrocketing cost of health care. We need to make affordable health care accessible to all Americans, starting with children.”

Kirkpatrick has made tremendous strides in addressing poverty in her community. Her efforts to expand telecommunications capabilities on tribal land have helped bridge the digital divide for Native Americans. In Congress, she will fight for tax fairness and economic policies that create jobs in economically depressed areas. “I also believe that, to end the cycle of poverty, we need to invest in quality education and make college more affordable for every child.”

Kirkpatrick’s environmental record earned her “A” ratings from conservation groups. “I believe we need to protect Arizona’s clean air, open spaces, and access to clean water,” she says. “I also believe that global warming is a serious threat and that we need to act now to protect future generations. We should invest in alternative energy sources like solar and geothermal energy, and require the auto manufacturers to deliver better fuel efficiency.”

As a state legislator, Kirkpatrick unwaveringly supported a woman’s right to choose, sponsoring a bill guaranteeing access to emergency contraception for victims of sexual assault, and voting against anti-choice measures. “There are and always will be repeated attempts to curb a woman’s right to choose, and I am committed to preventing any and all of those attempts.”

September 2008