Ann Kirkpatrick - for Arizona

"A huge swath of Arizona needs a voice in Congress. The legal and financial entanglements of Republican Rep. Rick Renzi, which led to his indictment, have left District 1 without effective representation.

Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick is the best candidate to speak for the diverse interests of this incredibly varied district. It includes the university setting of Flagstaff, mining towns, tourist-oriented places like Prescott, Sedona and Payson, tribal lands and the increasingly suburban communities of Florence and Casa Grande.

Kirkpatrick knows the landscape. Born in McNary in the White Mountains, she grew up with a close-up view of the strengths of Native American culture and the challenges of reservation life. The Flagstaff lawyer has been city attorney in Sedona and a state legislator. Her service in civic organizations includes Big Sisters, the advisory board of Lowell Observatory, and the Flagstaff Symphony Association.

The economy is front and center in all of Arizona right now.

Kirkpatrick, with her pragmatic views and lack of ideological rigidity, has the best shot at getting congressional funding and policies to help District 1. She is committed to working within the system in a transparent way to get more federal dollars for Arizona. That's critical for one of the poorest congressional districts in the country.

She supports investment in the issues that count for a far-flung district with a strong rural identity: transportation, better access to health care and affordable, adequate energy. She sees the multiple benefits of supporting alternative energy, including the creation of "green-collar" jobs.

Kirkpatrick's strengths include her skills in mediation and conflict resolution. Those would be valuable tools for promoting key legislation for the district.

The Republican candidate for District 1, Sydney Hay, was a worthy contender in the primaries. A public-affairs consultant, she has been closely connected for years with the mining industry, an important part of the district's economy. But Hay, who splits her time between Munds Park and Scottsdale, isn't as well plugged in to the broad interests of the district. Although she has logged a lot of time lobbying at the state Legislature, she lacks Kirkpatrick's on-the-job experience.

The other two candidates are Libertarian Thane Eichenauer and independent Brent Maupin.

District 1 voters can get back their voice by choosing Ann Kirkpatrick for Congress on Nov. 4."

"White Mountain residents have the opportunity to elect 'one of their own' this year to represent them in Washington. Ann Kirkpatrick, a McNary native, is poised to wrestle away the Republican-held seat for Congressional District 1.

Kirkpatrick, a former state representative, is prepared to handle the challenges which face our country and more specifically, our area.

In a recent story in The Independent, Kirkpatrick stated, 'I grew up in Arizona, and raised my family here. I love Arizona and I've had the honor of serving my home state as a prosecutor, teacher, community volunteer and state representative.

'I spent the past year talking with voters all across the district about the need for high-paying jobs in Arizona, affordable health care and a responsible energy plan that will relieve our pain at the pump and free us from Middle East oil. In Congress, I will work to break the partisan gridlock and reach across party lines to cut taxes for middle-class families.'

This is a great opportunity for our area to receive representation from someone who embodies the conservative values we have come to expect from our elected officials.

Her campaign began in July 2024, and she built her early momentum with endorsements by Gov. Janet Napolitano, former Navajo Nation President Dr. Peterson Zah and a coalition of Democrats, Republicans and Independents.

She has a proven record of cracking down on meth pushers and violent criminals. Her campaign has received support from Arizona's law enforcement community such as Coconino County Sheriff Bill Pribil, Navajo County Sheriff Gary Butler and the Arizona Police Association.

Kirkpatrick became Coconino County's first female deputy county attorney in 1980 and later moved to civil litigation while raising her two daughters. While practicing in Flagstaff, acquaintances approached her in 2024 and asked her to consider running for the State Legislature.

'I found out I really enjoy going door to door and talking to people. I enjoyed being out on the Navajo Nation for all the Chapter House meetings and the parades, and I was elected,' Kirkpatrick said. 'After that, I really enjoyed the work.'

Jack Brown and the late Jake Flake took her under their wings during her early days in the State House. She learned from two of the finest legislators Arizona has known. She will work to make sure every Arizonian has access to a decent education, quality health care and the chance for a better life. She is committed to changing Washington. Kirkpatrick deserves our support on Nov. 4."

"It's been a long time since northern Arizona had a chance to send a homegrown candidate to Congress.

In Ann Kirkpatrick of Flagstaff, we have that opportunity, and we urge local voters, regardless of party, to seize it on Nov. 4. Kirkpatrick brings more to her 1st District candidacy than just local roots. She's held elective office as a state lawmaker. She's worked in local government as well as the private sector. She's reached out effectively to a variety of interest groups, both as a lawmaker and a candidate for Congress.

On things that matter to this region -- making higher education affordable, attracting higher-skilled jobs by developing renewable resources, protecting public lands, addressing the poverty and isolation on American Indian reservations, making health care affordable, finding a workable solution to illegal immigration -- Kirkpatrick is not only in touch with the issues but ready to cross the political aisle to find solutions.

We also find her approach to national issues like energy policy, immigration, national security and reviving the economy more nuanced and thoughtful than those of her main rival, Sydney Hay. And in a Congress facing the worst economic conditions since the Depression, the ability to put together working coalitions and get things done will be crucial.

One concern with Hay is that she brings a confrontational temperament to a policymaking body that needs bipartisan leadership. She says she is running "against" Congress, but without much of a prescription for how to cure what ails it.

Further, on those regional issues of importance listed above, Hay is on the wrong side of many of them.

On the rising cost of college, Kirkpatrick wants to boost Pell Grant funding for low-income students. Hay dismisses student debt as a "personal choice."

On public lands, Kirkpatrick wants to fully fund the national parks and ban uranium mining statewide. Hay supports more user fees, continued uranium mining and oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

On energy, Kirkpatrick calls human-caused global warming a threat to national security and emphasizes renewable solar and wind; Hay is a global warming skeptic and focuses on oil, natural gas and nuclear as the path to U.S. energy independence.

On health care, Kirkpatrick advocates a universal health insurance pool, starting with children, to spread costs. Hay's plan looks to personal medical savings accounts available primarily to the employed.

On illegal immigration, Kirkpatrick is open to guest worker status and an eventual path to citizenship. Hay's platform focuses solely on border security.

On improving K-12 schools, Kirkpatrick calls public education her highest priority while Hay has worked as a lobbyist to send public funds to unaccountable private and religious schools.

Those positions alone distinguish Kirkpatrick as a much better advocate for the needs of the 1st Congressional District. But there are many more examples, and they are posted on the Daily Sun's election Web site: www.azdailysun.com/elections2008.

We will say, however, that Hay deserves credit for running an upfront campaign that stands behind her proposals, even if some of them, such as partially privatizing Social Security and replacing the income tax with a national sales tax, seem out of step with the times or impractical -- or both...

That said, the balance sheet of pluses and minuses for the candidate best suited to represent northern Arizona in Congress clearly adds up in Kirkpatrick's favor. She will need every vote possible from this region if she is to capture a majority in the sprawling 1st District, and we urge local voters to put aside party interests and send Ann Kirkpatrick of Flagstaff to Congress on Nov. 4."