In 2008, Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick decisively won an open House seat in Arizona that had been in GOP hands since 2002. The outgoing congressman left under a cloud of scandal, and Kirkpatrick’s record of honest and effective leadership appealed to voters ready for change. But this is a swing district in a red state, and the GOP wants it back. Kirkpatrick has been targeted by the National Republican Congressional Committee, which hopes to turn her into a one-term wonder — and conservative Republicans are vying for the chance to unseat her in a district that chose John McCain in the 2008 presidential election.
Among the class of Democrats elected to Congress in 2008, Kirkpatrick stands out as a particularly effective and independent- minded legislator. Her bill to spur economic development on Navajo and Hopi tribal land was signed by President Obama in May 2009, making Kirkpatrick the first freshman whose legislation became law. She voted for the economic stimulus bill that is on track to bring more than $285 million in investments to her district and for historic legislation to overhaul the nation’s health care system. To ensure fair pay for women, she voted in favor of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. A member of the House Homeland Security, Small Business, and Veterans Affairs committees, she is advancing legislation to stop the flow of drugs and money from Mexican drug cartels into border states; create jobs in hard-hit rural and tribal communities; expand access to services for veterans; ensure safe drinking water for communities throughout eastern Arizona; and increase entrepreneurial opportunities for Native Americans, who make up 23 percent of this district’s residents.
Kirkpatrick was born and raised on Apache tribal land, where her father ran a general store and her mother taught school (her first words were Apache, not English). After working her way through college and law school, she became the first woman deputy county attorney in Coconino County and, later, city attorney for Sedona. In 2004, Kirkpatrick was elected to the Arizona House of Representatives, where she helped strengthen laws to combat the spread of meth, expand tax credits for solar energy and small businesses, increase access to health insurance for children, and reduce poverty and improve the quality of life for lower-income citizens, particularly those living on tribal land.
Kirkpatrick represents a geographically large and economically diverse district — a land mass bigger than 30 states, with communities dependent on agriculture in the southern region, ranching and mining in the east, and tourism in the north. One of the poorest districts in the nation, it also has the highest population of Native Americans; even before the recession, unemployment was high and wages were low. The average annual income for Native Americans here was about $7,000 in 2007, access to education and health care is limited, and one-third of the Navajo Nation has no running water or electricity. Kirkpatrick has worked at the state and federal levels to raise the standard of living by bridging the digital divide and promoting economic development. A Republican victory here would lead to a complete shift in priorities away from ending the cycle of poverty.
Among those hoping to challenge Kirkpatrick is former state Senate Majority Leader Russell “Rusty” Bowers, a fervently anti- choice social conservative whom one local paper called a “brutal reactionary.” Now a lobbyist, Bowers amassed a predictably right-wing voting record while in the state legislature, including voting against environmental regulation and abortion rights. Bowers was the only member of the House to vote against requiring police to notify schools and residents when a convicted sex offender moves into the community.
Another leading challenger, dentist Paul Gosar, launched an early attack on Kirkpatrick for her vote in favor of the House health care bill and against the Stupak Amendment, which would restrict women’s access to insurance coverage for abortion. Gosar’s campaign staff includes a former fundraiser for McCain’s presidential campaign. Also contemplating a run is state Rep. Bill Konopnicki, a leader of anti-choice forces in Arizona who voted to increase penal- ties and impose jail time for doctors who perform certain late-term abortion procedures.
In 2008, Kirkpatrick defeated a right-wing activist with 56 per- cent of the vote — two points better than McCain’s presidential performance in this district (in his home state) — and has distinguished herself as a strong and effective advocate for her constituents in Congress. But Republicans believe this seat is rightfully theirs, and they have been attacking her for months through radio ads and robocalls to first district voters. The Wall Street Journal lists her as one of the most vulnerable first-terms in Congress. Kirkpatrick needs early and immediate support from EMILY’s List members to raise $2 million and defeat the GOP’s take-back bid.
A native of this district, Kirkpatrick raised her two daughters here and is personally dedicated to serving its best interests in Congress. “This district deserves trustworthy representation from someone who is focused on expanding opportunity and creating jobs, while also protecting our natural resources,” she says. “I’m working to make sure every Arizonan has access to a decent education, quality health care, and the chance for a better life, because I am committed to serving Arizona and changing Washington.”
When she was in the state legislature, Kirkpatrick worked with Arizona’s Democratic governor, Janet Napolitano (now secretary of the Department of Homeland Security) to bring voluntary all-day kindergarten to Arizonans — winning $46 million in raises for teachers in Arizona and securing funding to expand educational opportunities for Native Americans. “I am working in Congress to improve our schools by expanding early education, giving school districts the resources they need, and repairing the damage caused by No Child Left Behind,” she says.
Kirkpatrick worked full time while raising her children, so she understands first-hand the challenges facing parents. “Ensuring that women earn equal pay will help working families,” she says. “I’m proud that one of my first votes in Congress was to pass the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.”
Noting the disparity between the nation’s dependence on foreign imports and the loss of jobs to overseas competitors, Kirkpatrick says, “Our trade policies should strengthen our own economy and our economic presence abroad.” Congress’s top economic priority must be getting Americans back to work and put- ting the economy back on track. “We have accomplished a great deal with the recovery package, creating and saving more than 600,000 jobs nationwide,” she says, “but we must do more with less. When Americans are forced to cut back, our government should do the same and curb out-of-control spending.” She favors tax policies that ease the burden on middle-class families, and will continue fighting in Congress “to ensure that tax breaks are benefitting Main Street, not Wall Street.”
As a member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, Kirkpatrick is determined to see that active duty and retired service members get the care, benefits, and respect they have earned. “The federal defense budget should emphasize rebuilding military strength and making sure troops have the support and tools they need to do their jobs,” she says. Kirkpatrick applauds President Obama’s efforts to rebuild bridges with allies. “In light of the global economic crisis, it helps us all to work together to solve the world’s biggest problems,” she says.
Throughout her career, Kirkpatrick has worked to protect civil liberties, and to ensure equal pay for women and voting rights for minorities. The only representative from Arizona on the Homeland Security Committee, she is fighting to keep our borders safe and crack down on drug, gun, and human smuggling. From her seat on the Small Business Committee, she is working to ensure that women- and minority-owned businesses participate equally in the economic recovery.
As a prosecutor, Kirkpatrick worked to protect victims, punish perpetrators, and reduce crime. “I was the first female prosecutor in Coconino County, and I soon realized that a lot of crimes against women were not being reported,” she says. “At that time, there were no women police officers, and I was the only woman prosecutor. I helped set up victim support programs and sexual assault centers to help women navigate the criminal justice system and make sure they testify against their attackers. Then as a legislator, I helped secure funding for these programs.” Kirkpatrick is working in Congress to protect funding and provide more federal assistance to local law enforcement.
Across America, notes Kirkpatrick, middle-class families struggle with high insurance premiums and poor families have no insurance at all. “For too long health care has been a political rather than a human issue,” she says. “That’s why I voted for the Affordable Health Care for Americans Act, which is a necessary step toward reforming our health care system.”
Poverty is ever-present in Kirkpatrick’s district, where some families lack electricity and running water. In Congress, she is working to alter the landscape for her constituents by expanding access to technology in rural areas and fighting for economic policies that create jobs in depressed areas. “I also believe that, to end the cycle of poverty, we need to invest in quality education and make college affordable for every child,” she says.
Kirkpatrick firmly supports a woman’s right to choose, and voted against the Stupak Amendment, which would restrict women’s access to insurance coverage for abortion. “Decisions regarding a woman’s health should be left to the patient and her physician, and I will work to protect that privacy,” she says.
January 2010