Buttigieg rallies Tucson Democrats for Mendoza

In a 25-minute speech Saturday night at the Pima County Fairgrounds, Buttigieg delivered stinging criticism of the GOP and said voters in Congressional District 6 have an opportunity to change the status quo by supporting JoAnna Mendoza, the Democrat challenging two-term Republican Congressman Juan Ciscomani.

“You can absolutely beat this guy,” he said.

The area encompassing Casa Grande, eastern Tucson, Sierra Vista, and the southeastern corner of the state is relatively even in its split between registered Democrats, Republicans and Independents, and is widely considered a toss-up district. Millions of dollars have been funneled into Mendoza’s campaign from national Democrats, who have identified the seat as one of a handful that could flip the House to Democratic control in November.

Buttigieg and a handful of Tucson Democrats, including Mayor Regina Romero and State Rep. Nancy Gutierrez, encouraged people to register to vote, donate, and canvass in what is expected to be a tight race.

Maryann Adams, a Marana resident who lives in the district, said at the rally she is most concerned about the Beale Infrastructure data center development and the planned detention center in the former state prison proposed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Marana has gotten national media attention in recent months for having concrete examples of two of the country’s biggest debates converging in one town.

“We don't have enough water for people, let alone data centers. We don't. Electricity is gonna go sky high. We've got to stop,” Adams said.

Buttigieg said Congress needs to pass federal regulations for data centers addressing environmental impacts and safety.

“Right now, you got a White House that is basically telling companies do whatever, we don't care, and that’s just no way forward on such an important policy issue. We got to be tackling the major, major safety implications of this technology,” he told reporters after the speech.

Mendoza said she learned about water issues from growing up in agricultural Pinal County, and that data center regulation needs to be individualized to each community.

The rally comes just a few days after Mendoza and Ciscomani faced off in the only scheduled debate before voting begins. Mendoza cemented herself as a moderate Democrat, especially on border security, and leaned heavily on her 20-year military career in her case to voters, while Ciscomani defended his support of Trump’s policies and argued they are putting more money into people’s pockets.

Buttigieg, also a veteran, said Mendoza’s experience as a drill instructor makes her the kind of person voters should want in Congress.

“She does not fit the profile of a typical politician, and that’s not a bad thing in a time like this,” he said.

Just a day before Mendoza’s rally, new numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed the overall cost of living rose 3.4% over the last year.

Valerie Alison, another resident in the congressional district, attended the rally with friends in order to split the price of gas. She said she thinks the economy will be the defining issue of the election.

“I don't do anything anymore. I don't go anywhere because it costs money to burn gas. I even debated on coming out here because this is a long way out from town,” she said.

Mendoza said she had recently spoken to a mother who told her the baby formula she needs had risen to $42.

“Those are the things that keep me up at night . . . Government is supposed to improve the quality of life for people, and it's not doing that right now,” she said.

Buttigieg was last in Tucson in 2022 to announce the city would be receiving $25 million in federal funding for repairs to the 22nd Street Bridge. He said he was glad to learn that construction started in March.

“I’m sorry about the traffic in the meantime,” he said. The bridge will be closed for three years.

He used the topic of infrastructure to further criticize the Trump Administration, saying the basic functions of government are being pushed aside.

“Are the people in charge changing their policy, changing course to make any of this better? The answer is no, because it is working just fine for them. Congress can trade stocks while they make decisions that move markets. A sitting president makes himself $2 billion in one year while in office,” he said.

He closed the speech by talking about what his five-year-old twins might ask him about what the last ten years were like when they grow up.

“If we do what we have to in these elections, this November and beyond, we will be able to tell them with pride that the 2020s is when we turn things around. We could be proud by the end of this decade of how things turned out,” he said.

Buttigieg ran for president in 2020 and has hinted at another run in 2028. When asked about his plans, Buttigieg said his only focus was getting candidates elected in 2026. However, in his speech, he called for wider reforms beyond “kitchen table issues,” he said, criticizing partisan gerrymandering and the U.S. Supreme Court, which he called a “nakedly partisan institution.”

“When Congress is bought and paid for, of course they're going to open up a new tax loophole for a corporation before they do anything to raise wages…I believe that politics is about the everyday, that politics is about the kitchen table, but we cannot ignore the simple reality that our political system is kicking the legs out from under the kitchen table again and again and again,” he said.

Mendoza would only say she’d like a veteran in the role.

“I would love to see a veteran as a commander in chief, and that’s all I’m going to give you right now,” she said.