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For my second stop on our road to victory, we visited Tucson, Arizona, in support of JoAnna Mendoza.
Arizona’s 6th Congressional District extends from Tucson to the U.S.-Mexico border, out towards the New Mexico border, and includes parts of Casa Grande.
JoAnna “Jo” Mendoza is a Marine Corps veteran, single mom, and battle-tested Arizonan born and raised in Pinal County. The daughter of farmworkers, Jo enlisted in the U.S. military at 17 and served our country for 20 years in both the Navy and the Marine Corps.
A retired Marine Corps drill instructor, Jo is the mission-focused leader Arizonans need in Congress to lower costs for families, create good-paying jobs, and keep communities safe.
Jo is running to serve AZ-06 because she’s sick and tired of rubberstamp politicians like Juan Ciscomani who say what they think Arizonans want to hear, then vote however their party bosses tell them to. Unlike Ciscomani, Jo will always put Arizonans first.
AZ-06 is locked in a dead heat – with most organizations saying this is an EVEN race. I was so excited to get to Tucson and see the energy for Team Mendoza!!
Early voting begins on October 7th in Arizona, which means we only have 6 weeks before people start voting, and we need to make sure they vote for Jo!
We had a fantastic trip to Arizona, and I’m so happy to bring you along every step of the way. We heard directly from voters about the important issues Arizonans are facing ahead of the November elections – and saw Jo’s commitment to address their concerns. I know she will be a strong fighter for them in Congress!
Consider supporting JoAnna with a contribution>>> [ [link removed] ]
DAY 1:
10:00 AM:
After a busy week holding town halls across northern Illinois, I was excited to head down to Arizona to campaign with Jo Mendoza.
We arrived at the airport around 10:00 am and stocked up on some snacks before heading over to the gate.
I finished watching the last episode of Little House on the Prairie on the flight – shoutout to my fellow 80s babies that grew up watching the original!
1:30 PM:
After an easy flight, we landed in Phoenix with little trouble. The drive to Tucson is about 1.5 hours, so my team and I took the time to take in the beautiful surroundings! Obsessed with the CACTI 🌵🌵🌵. When we left Chicago, it was storming pretty badly, so the dry desert heat felt like a welcome change.
5:00 PM:
At 5:00 pm we headed over to Fort Lowell Park in Central Tucson to kick off a canvassing event for Jo Mendoza. It was wonderful to meet some of her most dedicated volunteers, including those walking their second packet of the day in 100-degree heat!
I spoke about the power of connecting with voters on the doors and how their people-powered campaign in AZ-06 will end Washington’s culture of corruption.
I’ve always believed in investing in organizing. Door-knocking is essential because it lets us talk directly with voters and hear their concerns about this upcoming election. That direct feedback builds real energy and momentum on the ground. So thank you to all of the volunteers who are door-knocking this cycle – especially those of you in Tucson walking for Jo!
After pumping up the volunteers, my team and I took to the doors ourselves! We visited voters who have been feeling left out of “politics as usual” and are demanding change this November.
6:30 PM:
All that door-knocking made us hungry, so we headed over to Mi Nidito, a legendary Mexican restaurant with its own local lore!
Mi Nidito is in the heart of South Tucson, “a pueblo within a city”. The whole neighborhood celebrated Mexican heritage with bright-colored murals, shops, and restaurants.
Mi Nidito has also been a spot for celebrities to eat over the years. The walls were covered with photos of musicians, politicians, and artists from around the country enjoying the food right here in South Tucson. (My favorite was the portrait of a young “Bailamos” era Enrique Iglesias).
Most notably, President Bill Clinton visited Mi Nidito on a trip to Tucson in February 1999 – they have a “Presidential” booth and what he ordered, still on the menu!
After an incredible meal, we headed to the hotel to get some rest before our busy next day.
DAY 2:
9:30 AM:
I met up with Jo at Community Bridges, a health care organization that provides a full continuum of high-quality substance use and mental health services in multiple states.
The local facility, called Dodge Center, provides transitional housing and care for up to 40 men in the Tucson area.
Residents receive group therapy, peer support, referrals, medication, and discharge planning with mental health professionals. These services are needed now more than ever as we have seen an increase in polysubstance overdoses among adults 18-25, and generally an increase in individuals struggling with substance use disorders.
It was incredible to visit this comprehensive, community-based facility and hear directly from their providers about how federal policy affects their daily work.
Not surprisingly, the leaders at Community Bridges are concerned about the Medicaid cuts included in the Big Ugly Bill and their impact on program funding. We can’t afford for mental health providers like those at the Dodge Center to reduce their services one bit!
That’s why it’s so important to support health care champions like Jo Mendoza, who are fighting for affordable health care for every American.
11:00 AM:
After the visit, we headed over to Snooze to refuel before our next event.
Jo and I talked over lunch about her life in the military – and during our meal, she was stopped by a couple of Marines who came over to thank her for her service, and to share their concern for their daughter who is currently deployed overseas.
12:30 PM:
After lunch, we drove to the Restoration Room, a community-centered wellness center that hosted us for a roundtable discussion on health care and maternal health.
We were joined by 10 advocates, all from different backgrounds in health care: caregivers, nurses, physicians, or patients themselves, who brought unique perspectives on their interactions with our health care system.
We had a robust discussion about how to improve our broken health care system.
There is so much anxiety as folks fear the impact of the Medicaid cuts in the Big Ugly Bill and the rising cost of health care and prescription drugs. There is so much anger as these Arizona voters understand their congressman betrayed their community and voted for these deadly, devastating cuts.
But there was also hope in our discussion—Jo shared her experiences and her commitment to fight for Arizonans in Congress. She knows working people are facing a lot of financial pressure right now.
5:20 PM:
After hugs and goodbyes with my friend, Jo, we hopped in the car and headed back to Phoenix for our flight. The hour-and-a-half drive gave me ample time to reflect on our visit. So many of the health care conversations were heavy—because so many people are confronting devastating cuts and very difficult family budget decisions.
I feel that there is so much we can do to help the American people - and that’s why I’m so focused on fighting for an affordable America. I cannot wait to elect Jo Mendoza, take back the House Majority, and serve our communities with legislative wins.
11:00 PM:
We landed back home in Chicago around 11:00 pm, and headed back home to rest and get ready for another busy day in the district!
To support Jo’s campaign:
Contribute generously to her campaign>>> [ [link removed] ]
Sign up to volunteer [ [link removed] ]
More to come,
Congresswoman Lauren Underwood
DCCC Red to Blue Co-Chair
P.S. Support our entire slate of Red to Blue [ [link removed] ]candidates [ [link removed] ], including Jo, here>>> [ [link removed] ]
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