Arizona 6th District Voter Guide: Ciscomani, Mendoza, Peters and Swing on Health Coverage and Immigration
Four candidates are on the Nov. 3 ballot in Arizona's 6th Congressional District, according to the official general election candidate list published by Pima County Elections: Republican Rep. Juan Ciscomani, Democrat JoAnna Mendoza, Libertarian Jereme Peters and Green Party candidate Gary Swing. Ballotpedia also lists Michael Dorland, an independent, as a write-in candidate. The Digital Free Press voter guide video compares where the four ballot candidates stand on health coverage and immigration.
The district covers parts of Pima, Pinal, Cochise, Graham and Greenlee counties, including much of eastern Tucson and communities across southeastern Arizona, Arizona Luminaria reported. Ciscomani, first elected in 2022, is seeking a third term after winning in 2024 with 50 percent of the vote.
Why Health Coverage and Immigration Are Issues in Arizona's 6th District
The Cook Political Report rates the race Lean Democratic as of Oct. 23, 2026, meaning it expects the seat to change parties. Decision Desk HQ rates it Likely Democratic as of Sept. 8, according to Wikipedia's ratings table, which also lists older ratings from Inside Elections (Toss-up, June 2025) and Sabato's Crystal Ball (Lean Democratic, October 2025). A RedBox Research poll released Oct. 25 had Mendoza at 47.2 percent and Ciscomani at 42.6 percent among 837 likely voters; it was sponsored by A Fight Worth Having, a super PAC. A June poll by Normington Petts, sponsored by the Democratic-aligned House Majority PAC, had Mendoza at 47 percent and Ciscomani at 45 percent.
The district sits along a stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border, and the two major-party candidates clashed over the economy, health care and immigration in a Sept. 10 debate, Arizona Luminaria reported. The positions below come from the candidates' own statements, Arizona Luminaria's and Arizona Public Media's candidate questionnaires, and a candidate survey published by Arizona Voter Guide.
On health coverage, the TDFP video says Ciscomani backs preserving Medicaid for vulnerable people along with work requirements and more eligibility checks. It says Mendoza would reverse Medicaid cuts, restore Affordable Care Act subsidies and expand Medicare drug price negotiation, that no published health coverage position from Peters was found, and that Swing supports a single-payer Medicare for All system.
On immigration, the video says Ciscomani backs stronger border security, more agents and equipment and closer coordination with law enforcement. It says Mendoza backs stronger ports of entry, accountability for ICE and a path to citizenship for law-abiding immigrants, that Peters supports expanding federal enforcement to prevent illegal border crossings, and that Swing would abolish ICE and the border wall and supports freedom of migration and international work permits.
Juan Ciscomani (Republican)
Ciscomani was a senior adviser to former Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey and vice chair of the Arizona-Mexico Commission before he was elected to Congress, Arizona Luminaria reported. He defeated Democrat Kirsten Engel in 2022 and again in 2024. Arizona Luminaria reported that he did not answer its questionnaire; the positions below come from his public statements.
On health coverage, Ciscomani voted for the 2025 Republican budget law, which included new Medicaid work requirements. Before the House vote, he wrote: "I made my position clear that I do not support reducing Medicaid benefits for vulnerable populations." After the vote, he said in a statement that the bill "strengthens and protects Medicaid for those who rely on it by tackling waste, fraud, and abuse through sensible work requirements and stronger eligibility verification," KJZZ reported.
On immigration, Ciscomani's congressional website says he will work to "reinstate commonsense policies that prioritize security, like Remain in Mexico, dismantle cartels and other criminal organizations, empower our Customs and Border Protection agents and officers to do their job, and enforce our immigration laws strongly and consistently." His campaign highlights an endorsement from the National Border Patrol Council. At the Sept. 10 debate, he said: "I'm a product of the American Dream, I want people to have access to that American Dream."
JoAnna Mendoza (Democrat)
Mendoza is a Marine Corps veteran who ran for the Arizona Senate in 2020, Arizona Luminaria reported.
On health coverage, Mendoza told Arizona Public Media: "I'll fight to restore AHCCCS cuts, keep rural hospitals open, and address the shortage of doctors and nurses." AHCCCS is Arizona's Medicaid program. Her campaign website says she "will work to reverse disastrous cuts to healthcare, including to AHCCCS and enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies," and will "expand the number of prescription drug prices Medicare can negotiate."
On immigration, Mendoza told Arizona Public Media: "We must modernize our ports of entry, stop cartels, fentanyl, hold rogue ICE agents accountable, and ensure local law enforcement has the funding to help keep the homeland safe." She marked "Strongly Agree" on a pathway to citizenship for undocumented residents brought to the U.S. as children. She told Arizona Luminaria: "We can enforce the law while protecting due process and treating every person with dignity."
Jereme Peters (Libertarian)
Peters is the Libertarian nominee. Arizona Luminaria reported that he did not answer its outreach and that his campaign website is inactive.
On health coverage, no published position from Peters was found.
On immigration, Peters marked that he supports "expanding federal enforcement efforts to prevent illegal border crossings" in his response to Arizona Voter Guide's candidate survey.
Gary Swing (Green)
Swing is the Green Party nominee. Arizona Luminaria reported that his platform includes Medicare for All, a universal basic income, abolishing ICE and moving away from fossil fuels.
On health coverage, Swing told Arizona Luminaria he would prioritize "Medicare for All, eliminating premiums, deductibles, and medical debt so no family faces financial ruin from illness."
On immigration, Swing said: "I support the complete abolition of ICE." He listed "freedom of migration and international work permits not tied to a single employer" and "no border wall and a demilitarized border region focused on humanitarian response" among the policies he favors.
Where to Follow the Candidates
Juan Ciscomani: @JuanCiscomani on X and juanciscomani.com. JoAnna Mendoza: @Mendoza4AZ on X and joannamendoza.com. Jereme Peters: no active campaign website was found. Gary Swing: theswingvote.wixsite.com/unity.
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. Arizona voters can check their registration and polling place through the Arizona Secretary of State at azsos.gov. This guide is for information only; The Digital Free Press does not endorse any candidate.
Yossi Schmidt, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, The Digital Free Press
Hold Everyone Accountable.
Sources: Pima County Elections, general election candidate list (Nov. 3, 2026): https://content.civicplus.com/api/assets/az-pimacounty/d2c310c3-ade7-484e-a6f0-1ddaebec0799 ; Arizona Luminaria, Arizona District 6 voter guide (Oct. 13, 2026): https://azluminaria.org/2026/10/13/arizona-district-6-voter-guide-where-ciscomani-mendoza-swing-stand/ ; Arizona Public Media, Congressional District 6 candidate survey: https://news.azpm.org/cd6/ ; JoAnna Mendoza campaign, health care: https://www.joannamendoza.com/issues/healthcare/ ; Rep. Juan Ciscomani, border security: https://ciscomani.house.gov/issues/border-security ; Rep. Juan Ciscomani on X (May 22, 2025): https://x.com/RepCiscomani/status/1925529973361696911 ; KJZZ, Rep. Ciscomani defends vote (May 23, 2025): https://www.kjzz.org/politics/2025-05-23/rep-ciscomani-defends-vote-on-trumps-big-beautiful-bill ; Arizona Voter Guide, Jereme Peters survey: https://www.azvoterguide.com/candidate/peters-jereme-lance/ ; A Fight Worth Having, AZ-06 poll: https://afightworthhaving.com/polling/2026/az-06 ; Cook Political Report House ratings: https://www.cookpolitical.com/ratings/house-race-ratings ; Wikipedia, 2026 U.S. House elections in Arizona: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections_in_Arizona ; Ballotpedia, Arizona's 6th Congressional District election, 2026: https://ballotpedia.org/Arizona%27s_6th_Congressional_District_election,_2026
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