Tonight’s CD6 Debate Highlighted the Stark Choice Facing Arizona Voters this November

Tucson, AZ  — Tonight, Representative Juan Ciscomani and Former State Senator Kirsten Engel met for a debate in Tucson. The candidates were asked about the state’s water crisis, and their answers highlighted how they see this important issue. 

Recent polling shows how important climate and clean energy are to voters. While Kirsten Engel believes Arizona is a state where solar energy can thrive and grow clean energy in the state, Representative Ciscomani voted to repeal the clean energy plan, putting Arizona’s economy and thousands of jobs at risk. 

Engel emphasized the importance of prioritizing the protection of Arizona’s water. “In everything we do with respect to water, we have to be guided by the principle here in this desert state of ‘Arizona water for Arizonans,’” she said. 

While Ciscomani claimed to be a Congressional leader on this issue, during his time working for former Governor Doug Ducey, Arizona’s water crisis worsened. Decisions made during those years often favored short-term gains over long-term sustainability, leaving communities vulnerable to droughts and water shortages.

“As Arizonans across the state are coping with the impacts of extreme heat in October, the costs of the climate crisis are here today,” said Diali Avila, Climate Power’s Arizona State Desk. “There’s only one candidate in the race who stands on the side of working families and will stand up to Big Oil to invest in a clean energy future that lowers costs and creates jobs here in Arizona: That candidate is Kirsten Engel.”

In many ways, this race for Arizona’s CD6 mirrors the choice we face as a country: As vice president, Kamala Harris cast the deciding vote to pass the clean energy plan, tripling clean energy production and helping Americans save $38 billion on electricity bills. The clean energy plan has already created more than 330,000 clean energy jobs across the country, including over 18,000  jobs in Arizona and billions in investments—all of which will be at risk if GOP candidates like Representative Ciscomani get elected. 

The choice before voters could not be more stark: Will we continue to combat the climate crisis and invest in clean energy, turbocharging American manufacturing while giving families more affordable and reliable energy choices? Or will we reject climate science in the face of catastrophe, stifle America’s booming clean energy economy, and allow Big Oil to pollute and profiteer without constraint or competition?

For more on Engel’s and Ciscomani’s respective records on climate and clean energy, please reach out to Joe Watson at press@heyjoemedia.com. 

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