JoAnna Mendoza

JoAnna Mendoza is the Democratic nominee challenging incumbent Juan Ciscomani in Arizona's 6th Congressional District. A Navy and Marine Corps veteran, she later worked as a nonprofit leader, veterans' outreach coordinator and congressional staffer, and ran for the Arizona Senate in 2020. According to her Ballotpedia survey, she is running on lowering costs, protecting Social Security and strengthening the health care system.[1][2]

Mendoza was born in Florence, Arizona. She says her family relied on Medicaid while she was growing up and that her life has been shaped by the working families of Pinal County.[1][2] She served in the U.S. Navy from 1994 to 1997 and the U.S. Marine Corps from 1998 to 2016, including two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. She says she enlisted at 17 and served as a Marine Corps Drill Instructor.[1][2] Mendoza earned a bachelor's degree from American Military University in 2013, a master's in leadership from Grand Canyon University in 2019 and a graduate degree from Arizona State University.[1][2]

She worked as a veterans outreach coordinator for Pima Community College, a program manager at A Place Called Home, and a veteran services representative for U.S. Rep. Tom O'Halleran (D). She describes herself as a single mother, nonprofit leader, veteran advocate and congressional staffer.[1][2] In 2020 Mendoza won the Democratic primary for Arizona State Senate District 11 with 57.4 percent, then lost the general election to incumbent Vince Leach (R), 54.4 percent to 45.6 percent. She advanced unopposed from the July 21, 2026 Democratic primary for the 6th District.[1]

Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21.