JoAnna Mendoza is a Marine Corps veteran, proud Arizonan, and dedicated public servant running to represent Arizona’s 6th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. Born and raised in Pinal County in a farmworker family that often struggled to make ends meet, Mendoza learned the value of hard work and resilience early in life. At just 17, she answered the call to serve her country, enlisting first in the U.S. Navy and then embarking on a 20-year career in the U.S. Marine Corps — including deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan and leadership roles as a Drill Instructor and senior noncommissioned officer.
After her military service, Mendoza returned to Arizona, raised her son as a single mother, and continued serving her community as a veterans outreach coordinator, nonprofit leader, and policy advocate. She has helped veterans navigate complex systems, supported economic opportunity in rural and urban communities, and consistently lifted up working families. In 2026, Mendoza launched her campaign for Congress to bring battle-tested leadership to Washington, fight for working families, tackle the rising costs of essentials like food, housing, and childcare, protect access to affordable healthcare, defend Social Security and Medicare, and uphold democratic rights for all Arizonans.
Key Issue Stances & Priorities
- Lowering Costs & Working-Family Security: Mendoza is committed to tackling the cost of food, housing, gas, and childcare, so families can keep pace with living expenses and build stability.
- Healthcare & Veterans’ Access: She supports expanding affordable healthcare access for all and improving services for veterans through strengthened outreach and benefits systems.
- Economic Opportunity & Fair Wages: Mendoza champions good-paying jobs, workforce development, and policies that lift working families across both urban and rural parts of AZ-06.
- Defending Democracy & Equal Rights: She prioritizes protecting voting rights, ensuring free and fair elections, and defending personal freedoms, including reproductive rights and equal treatment under the law.
- Supporting Communities & Rural Investment: Mendoza emphasizes the unique needs of veterans, rural Arizonans, and underserved communities and seeks federal investment that uplifts all parts of the district.
Accomplishments & Strengths
- Decorated Military Career: Served over 20 years across the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, and excelled as a Drill Instructor and senior enlisted leader.
- Lifelong Arizona Public Servant: Worked as a veterans outreach coordinator, nonprofit leader, and advocate for families and communities in the district.
- First-Generation & Working-Class Background: Her roots in a farmworker family inform her commitment to economic justice, opportunity, and strong social safety nets.
- Broad Endorsements & Momentum: Backed by major Democratic groups and PACs invested in flipping this competitive seat, including the New Democrat Coalition Action Fund and other national organizations.
- Competitive District Opportunity: AZ-06 is widely seen as a top pickup chance in 2026 — a true toss-up district, making Mendoza’s candidacy pivotal for Democratic House control.
My name is JoAnna Mendoza. In the Marine Corps, we have a saying: lead, follow, or get the hell out of the way.
I’m running for Congress in the most competitive seat in Arizona. Together, we will flip Arizona's 6th blue.