By Corinne Murdock |
Democratic congressional candidate Kirsten Engel has confused which district she’s running in, marking the second year and second congressional race in a row of similar oversights to the district she aims to represent.
On Tuesday, Engel posted about her weekend activities purportedly in the sixth congressional district — except, all of the events took place in the seventh congressional district.
“Busy weekend in #AZ06!” said Engel.
The canvass with Tucson Mayor Regina Romero took place at the mayoral candidate’s headquarters — 2720 E. Broadway Blvd, Tucson, AZ 85716. The tailgate for the University of Arizona (UArizona) Homecoming took place at the University of Arizona Mall (85721). The UArizona Law awards ceremony granting Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick the Lifetime Achievement Award took place at the James E. Rogers College of Law — 1201 E Speedway Blvd, Tucson, AZ 85721.
None of those events were in the sixth congressional district.
The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) was among the first to notice Engel’s mistake. NRCC spokesperson Ben Petersen said in a statement that Engel’s oversight amounted to disrespect — especially since she made a similar mistake last year.
“Extreme liberal Kirsten Engel refuses to stop disrespecting 6th district voters. The 7th Congressional District is as close as Engel will come to representing the 6th, especially given she can’t find it on a map,” said Petersen.
In July, Engel claimed she was mobilizing her local grassroots support and hearing the concerns of voters within her district — yet posted a picture from the Bisbee Pride Parade, which is outside of the district.
“It’s been an exhausting but exhilarating first couple of months on the campaign trail,” said Engel. “I’ve loved traveling throughout Cochise, Graham, Greenlee, Pima, and Pinal counties — talking to voters, hearing their concerns, and mobilizing grassroots support.
Engel faced a similar issue with district engagement and recognition last year.
Last September, while running against now-Rep. Juan Ciscomani for the sixth district, Engel held a campaign event at Hotel Congress in downtown Tucson — outside the sixth district — immediately after skipping a debate with Ciscomani.
Several months prior, the Arizona Daily Independent reported that Engel and her primary opponent Daniel Hernandez opted to host their debate outside the sixth district as well.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
