JoAnna Mendoza Joins MS NOW to Discuss Lowering Costs, Holding Juan Ciscomani Accountable

Mendoza on campaign momentum, including raising $2.3 million in Q1 2026: “What we’re seeing right now is a continuation of how pissed off people are. We’re tired of the lies, we’re tired of the broken promises, and we’re tired of the betrayal. We see people moving away from politicians and moving towards servant leaders, leaders who understand the lived struggle and are going to fight to address these issues that we’re seeing in our district.”

Mendoza on why she’s running: “I served my country for 20 years, and I took that oath to defend and protect the Constitution of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic. And Reverend, what we see right now is America is in a lot of trouble.”

Mendoza on Ciscomani voting with GOP leaders 100% of the time: “This is exactly what I’m talking about, lies, broken promises and betrayal… [Ciscomani] said that he’s going to protect safety net programs like the ones that I grew up on: food stamps, Medicaid, WIC – and then he turns around and he votes 100% of the time with the Trump Administration.”

Mendoza on Ciscomani refusing to hold town halls: “[Ciscomani] refuses to have town halls. He refuses to meet with constituents… the fact that you have somebody right now who is just reckless and doesn’t care about his constituency, doesn’t care about the veterans, doesn’t care about our military service members, it’s absolutely egregious, and it’s just another point on why I’m running.”

Mendoza on affordability: “You go to the grocery store, grocery prices are up. You go to the pump, gas prices are up. You cannot escape the consequences of this Administration’s policies and an incumbent, Juan Ciscomani, who refuses to push back on harmful policies for not just folks in the district, but across the nation.”

Mendoza on The Last Word, 4/3/26

Mendoza on her background: “I’m just a small town, rural farming community type of gal, proud daughter of farm workers. I grew up working alongside them in the fields for many, many years… I joined the Marine Corps because there was no economic opportunity in our small rural community, and that still is the case today. I served for 20 years, and I did two tours to Iraq and one to Afghanistan. And after 20 years, I retired, came back home, and went to work helping the communities in which I grew up in.”

Mendoza on Administration’s actions in Iran: “What we’re seeing right now under this Administration is complete recklessness. There’s a special trust and confidence that commanders and leaders have to ensure that they’re not placing our service members in harm’s way. And as a drill instructor who trained and made Marines for many years, I take this very personally, because right now there is no strategy, there’s no plan… This is one of the reasons why I’m running, because we need servant leadership. We need leadership who’s going to be responsible and who’s not going to necessarily put our troops in harm’s way.”

Mendoza on affordability, rising gas prices: “We’re hearing about the rising cost of groceries, and now with the war in Iran, not only is it impacting the economy globally, but it’s hitting us hard right here at home in AZ-06, where we do have a lot of rural communities. Folks already get penalized for living in those communities because they often have to drive into town to get groceries, go to doctor’s appointments, and they just can’t afford the gas. We’re all feeling the squeeze.”

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