Washington, DC – Equality PAC released the following statement congratulating Congresswoman-elect JoAnna Mendoza on her hard-fought victory in Arizona’s 6th Congressional District, where she defeated Republican incumbent Juan Ciscomani in one of the nation’s most competitive congressional races.
“JoAnna Mendoza’s victory is an extraordinary achievement — and one that should not be understated,” said Equality PAC. “Cycle after cycle, Democrats have tried to flip Arizona’s 6th Congressional District, taking on an entrenched Republican incumbent in one of the most closely contested battlegrounds in the country. Just after the 2024 elections, Equality PAC recognized that JoAnna — a former Marine Corps Drill Instructor — had the experience, determination, and strength to finally get the job done. We made a commitment early on to ensure her campaign had the resources to compete every step of the way — and we stayed in this fight because we knew what was at stake and understood that defeating Juan Ciscomani would require the resources to overcome an enormous challenge.”
“That investment and JoAnna’s hard work have paid off. Arizonans will now have a champion in Washington who understands first-hand the challenges facing their families and is committed to fighting for the issues that matter most, from making life more affordable and protecting access to health care to ensuring every community has a voice in Congress,” Equality PAC continued. “JoAnna has spent her career serving this country, and we know she will bring that same dedication to serving the people of Arizona’s 6th District. We could not be prouder to have stood with her from the very beginning — and we look forward to welcoming JoAnna to Congress in January.”
At just 17, JoAnna answered the call to serve, enlisting in the U.S. Navy before joining the U.S. Marine Corps. Her 20-year military career was defined by leadership, sacrifice, and service, marked by her role as a Marine Corps Drill Instructor, deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, and leading the next generation of Marines.
After two decades in military uniform, JoAnna returned home to raise her son, Aidan. She is a proud single mother by choice. As a single mom, she has chosen to lead by example by continuing her education after service, obtaining her Master’s Degree in Leadership from Grand Canyon University. She brought the same courage and determination to her community, working to ensure that veterans, working families, and rural Arizonans have an authentic voice. JoAnna has served as a nonprofit leader, veteran advocate, congressional staffer, and policy expert, helping families access benefits, organizing community programs, and fighting for common-sense solutions.
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Equality PAC’s primary mission is simple: to elect more LGBTQ+ persons to Congress. Individuals who will have a seat at the table, impact the debate, and humanize the LGBTQ community’s concerns. Beyond this goal, Equality PAC also supports strong LGBTQ community allies who will proudly and unapologetically stand with us in the fight to pass the Equality Act and equal protection under our nation’s laws. All of the funds that Equality PAC raises are directed to re-elect and expand our small – but mighty – LGBTQ caucus and to elect a pro-Equality Majority in the House of Representatives.
In the short time Equality PAC has existed, it has played an unmatched role in making history for the LGBTQ community — electing LGBTQ leaders at the federal level such as current House Members Sharice Davis (KS); Ritchie Torres (NY); Becca Balint (VT); Robert Garcia (CA); Eric Sorensen (IL); Angie Craig (MN); Chris Pappas (NH), Julie Johnson (TX); Emily Randall (WA); and Sarah McBride (DE).
With the elections of Julie, Emily, and Sarah two years ago, we not only made history by electing the first openly LGBTQ person ever elected to Congress from Texas or the South; the first ever queer Latina elected to Congress; and the first trans person ever elected to Congress — but we also DOUBLED the number of LGBTQ women in the House from three to six. And for the first time ever – there is near gender parity within the LGBTQ caucus with six women and seven men serving together in the House. This is an incredible accomplishment. On top of this, six of the 13 LGBTQ persons serving right now in the House are persons of color. These are incredible accomplishments for our community and its representation in Congress.
Already this cycle, Equality PAC has made history with Michigan State Senate President Jeremy Moss — who recently won the Democratic Primary in MI-11 and is all-but-certain to win the general election for this “Safe Democrat” open seat. Once elected and sworn in, Jeremy will be the first LGBTQ person ever elected to Congress from Michigan. Equality PAC has also made history with Janelle Sarauw, who will be the first LGBTQ person ever elected to Congress from the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Equality PAC currently has endorsed 4 additional non-incumbent LGBTQ candidates for the 2026 midterms, including three on the DCCC’s Red2Blue list: JoAnna Mendoza (AZ-06); Marni von Wilpert (CA-48); Cait Conley (NY-17); Scott Wiener (CA-11); and J.D. Ford (IN-05).