The U.S. Chamber of Commerce highlighted its support of U.S. Rep. Juan Ciscomani on Tuesday during a stop on the organization’s “Free Enterprise Champion Tour.”
Chamber Western Region Vice President Jennings Imel praised Ciscomani’s voting record and background as a former leader of the Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
“Thankfully, we have someone like Congressman Ciscomani who understands how free enterprise works and why it is so important, why it’s given us the prosperity we have in the United States today and why it is worth defending,” said Imel.
Imel also praised Ciscomani for his willingness to work with Democrats.
“He’s also a member who is extremely bipartisan,” Imel said. “We need members like Juan Ciscomani who are going to be willing to reach across the aisle, work with anyone – it doesn’t matter, R or D – to get things done and deliver results for Southern Arizona.”
Ciscomani is facing Democrat Kristen Engel, a former state lawmaker who narrowly lost to Ciscomani in 2022.
The two candidates are scheduled to debate at 5 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 29. The debate will be live on Phoenix’s AZPBS and will air locally on Arizona Public Media’s PBS 6 TV station and NPR affiliate KUAZ-FM, 89.1.
Ciscomani thanked Imel for the chamber’s endorsement and said the government too often gets in the way of business with regulations.
“I’ve always said that the government does not create jobs,” Ciscomani said. “The government creates an environment where businesses succeed. So when you see politicians claiming that they’ve created so many jobs here or there, that’s not the case. It’s the private sector doing it.”
The U.S. Chamber is the latest business organization to back Ciscomani. He has also been endorsed by the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry, National Federation of Small Business, Tucson Crime-Free Coalition, Americans for Prosperity and the Arizona Multihousing Association.
He has the support of various law-enforcement organizations, including the Tucson Police Officers Association, the National Border Patrol Council, the Arizona Fraternal Order of Police.
He has landed endorsements of fellow GOP elected officials across the district, including Arizona Corporation Commissioner Lea Marquez Peterson, Marana Mayor Ed Honea, Sahuarita Mayor Tom Murphy, Willcox Mayor Mike Laws, Benson Mayor Joe Konrad, Casa Grande Mahor Pro Tem Carolyn Umphrey and Douglas Mayor Don Huish. He’s supported by various members of county boards of supervisors (Steve Christy in Pima County, John Howard in Graham County, Steve Miller and Jeff McClure in Pinal County, Ron Campbell in Greenlee County) as well as former Pima County sheriff Mark Napier and current Graham County Sheriff PJ Allred.
Ciscomani has the support of local business leaders such as Jim Click, Humberto Lopez and Howard Stewart. Stewart praised Ciscomani on Tuesday morning at the midtown headquarters of his manufacturing business AGM.
“I know Juan personally and I find him to both understand as well as deeply care about the issues and interests of our community,” Stewart said. “Juan is committed to protecting Arizona’s military assets. He’s pro-business. He believes in funding our police as well as securing our southern border.”
Engel has reeled in her share of endorsements.
She has the support of Gabby Giffords, who represented the area until she resigned in the wake of a 2011 assassination attempt that left six people dead and 13 wounded, including Giffords. She’s also endorsed by Giffords’ husband, U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, and the organization they founded, Giffords PAC, which lobbies for laws to prevent gun violence. A similar organization, Brady, also supports Engel.
“Kirsten has proven she will put Arizonans first and is focused on what matters, like how we build an economy that creates more great-paying jobs in our state,” Kelly said in his endorsement.
She had made abortion rights a pillar of her campaign and won the support of Planned Parenthood Action Fund and Reproductive Freedom for All.
Engel has endorsements from environmental organizations including the League of Conservation Voters and Sierra Club.
She has a range of unions in her corner, such as the National Education Association, UFCW, Arizona AFL-CIO, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local Communications Workers of America and SEIU.
She also has an endorsement from LGBTQ advocacy groups, including Stonewall Democrats and Human Rights Campaign.
Engel is backed by current and past Democratic elected officials, including previous Southern Arizona members of Congress Ron Barber and Ann Kirkpatrick, as well as Rep. Ruben Gallego (who is now running for Senate against Republican Kari Lake). Attorney General Kris Mayes and state Sen. Rosanna Gabaldon of Sahuarita have endorsed her, as have Pima County Supervisors Rex Scott and Matt Heinz and Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos.