Ann Kirkpatrick

Ann Leila Kirkpatrick (born March 24, 1950) is an American politician serving as the U.S. Representative from Arizona's 2nd congressional district since 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously represented Arizona's 1st congressional district from 2009 to 2011 and again from 2013 to 2017. She is also a former member of the Arizona House of Representatives (2005–2007).

Kirkpatrick was defeated in the 2010 midterm election but regained her old seat in a close race in 2012. She retained her seat by winning in 2014. Kirkpatrick lost her U.S. Senate bid to incumbent Republican John McCain in the 2016 election. She was the Democratic nominee for Arizona's 2nd congressional district in the 2018 election, a race that she won by more than 9 points. She announced an indefinite leave of absence on January 15, 2020, in order to get treatment for alcoholism. She returned to work on February 25th, 2020, after almost exactly seven weeks to the day.

Kirkpatrick was born and raised on an Apache Indian reservation near McNary, Arizona. Her parents are European Americans who lived and worked on the reservation. Her mother was a teacher, and her father was a general store owner. When Kirkpatrick was in second grade, her family moved off the reservation to Pinetop-Lakeside. Her maternal uncle, William Bourdon, was elected as a member of the State House.

Kirkpatrick graduated from Blue Ridge High School as the valedictorian. In 1972, she completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Arizona, where she majored in Asian studies and learned to speak Mandarin Chinese. After a brief experience as a teacher, Kirkpatrick decided to go to law school. In 1979, she earned a juris doctorate from the University of Arizona College of Law.

In 1980, she was elected as Coconino County's first woman deputy county attorney. Kirkpatrick later served as city attorney for Sedona, Arizona. She was a member of the Flagstaff Water Commission. In 2004, she taught Business Law and Ethics at Coconino Community College."

In 2004, Kirkpatrick was elected to represent the 2nd Legislative District and took office in January 2005. Kirkpatrick was elected to a second term in the state House in 2006. While serving in the legislature, Kirkpatrick served as the ranking Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee, as well as the Education K-12 Committee and Natural Resources Committee.

Elections

2008

On July 24, 2007, Kirkpatrick resigned from the state House to run for the Democratic nomination in Arizona's 1st Congressional District. The seat was due to come open after three-term Republican incumbent Rick Renzi announced that he would not seek re-election in the face of a federal indictment on corruption charges, for which he eventually went to prison. Kirkpatrick won a four-way primary by almost 15 points on September 2, 2008.

Kirkpatrick faced Republican Sydney Ann Hay, a mining industry lobbyist, in the general election, garnering 56 percent of the vote.

2010

Kirkpatrick was defeated for reelection in the off-year by Republican nominee Paul Gosar, with 49.7% of the vote versus Kirkpatrick's 43.7%. She was endorsed by The Arizona Republic.

2012

Kirkpatrick announced she would run again for her old congressional seat in 2012. Redistricting made the district significantly more Democratic than its predecessor; Democrats now have a nine-point registration advantage. Kirkpatrick was initially priming for a rematch against Gosar, but Gosar opted to run for reelection in the newly created, heavily Republican 4th District. Kirkpatrick narrowly won the general election on November 6, 2012, defeating Republican Jonathan Paton, a former state Senator. Kirkpatrick won the seat with less than 50% of the vote, as a Libertarian Party candidate took more than 6%.

2014

Kirkpatrick won re-election to the U.S. House in 2014 with 52.6 of the vote, gaining several points. She faced no opposition in the Democratic primary. According to a Washington Post article in December 2012, Kirkpatrick was one of the 10 most vulnerable incumbents in 2014. Kirkpatrick is a member of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's Frontline Program. The program is designed to help protect vulnerable Democratic incumbents heading into the 2014 election.

2018

Kirkpatrick ran for the seat in Arizona's 2nd congressional district to replace outgoing Republican Martha McSally, who retired to run for U.S. Senate. Kirkpatrick won the election.

Tenure

Legislation

On March 14, 2014, Kirkpatrick cosponsored the Gulf War Health Research Reform Act of 2014 (H.R. 4261; 113th Congress), a bill that would alter the relationship between the Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Illnesses (RAC) and the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The bill would make the RAC an independent organization within the VA, require that a majority of the RAC's members be appointed by Congress instead of the VA, and state that the RAC can release its reports without needing prior approval from the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. The RAC is responsible for investigating Gulf War syndrome, a chronic multi-symptom disorder affecting returning military veterans and civilian workers of the Gulf War.

She voted for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, commonly referred to as the stimulus.

She sponsored bill H.R. 4720, the Taking Responsibility for Congressional Pay Act, to lower the salaries of congressional members. The bill stalled in committee.

Kirkpatrick voted for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in March 2010. In May 2013, she voted against repeal of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

Committee assignments

• Committee on Appropriations (2019–present)
  • Subcommittee on Defense
  • Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development
  • Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government
• Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure (2013–2017)
• Committee on Veterans' Affairs (2009-2011; 2013–2017)
• Committee on Homeland Security (2009-2011)
• Committee on Small Business (2009-2011)

On May 26, 2015, Kirkpatrick announced her candidacy for the United States Senate seat in Arizona held by Republican John McCain. She lost to McCain, 53.7% to 40.7%.

Abortion

Kirkpatrick characterizes herself as pro-choice. She has been endorsed by EMILY's List, Planned Parenthood and the National Women's Political Caucus. As a member of the Arizona state legislature, Kirkpatrick voted against a bill that would have required notarized parental consent for a minor to receive an abortion. She voted against a bill to ban abortions that would take place 20 or more weeks after fertilization.

Climate change

In 2009, as a member of the US House of Representatives, she voted against the American Clean Energy and Security Act HR 2454 (Waxman-Markey). In 2015, she voted in favor of HR 2042, which blocked implementation of President Obama's signature climate change policy, the Clean Power Plan.

Ann Kirkpatrick stated on her 2016 Senatorial campaign website that climate change is real.

Gun policy

Prior to the 2011 Tucson shooting, Kirkpatrick was described as "an ardent gun rights supporter". She voted "to allow guns in national parks and against the reinstatement of a ban on the sale of semi-automatic weapons."

In 2012, her campaign website stated that Kirkpatrick "pledge[d] to oppose any attempt by the federal government to undermine the Second Amendment and infringe on our constitutional right to bear arms." She stated that the shooting in Tucson caused her to rethink her support of gun rights and that "everything is on the table" as a potential solution to the issue of gun violence.

After the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, the Arizona Daily Sun wrote that "Kirkpatrick's position on some firearms laws appears to be changing in light of the mid-December school shooting in Connecticut, her new stance is unclear."

In the wake of the 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting, Kirkpatrickparticipated in a sit-in on the floor of the U.S. House demanding action by Congress to address gun violence. She also stated that "we must also look beyond this terrible moment and decide what we as a nation are willing to do to prevent hatred, gun violence and domestic terrorism," and mentioned "sensible solutions...that both respect the 2nd Amendment and keep our communities safer."

In 2019, Kirkpatrick voted for HR 8 Bipartisan Background Checks of 2019. In 2020, Kirkpatrick introduced HR 5559 The January 8th National Memorial Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to establish a national memorial in Tucson honoring those who were killed on January 8, 2011 when Congresswoman Gabby Giffords was shot.

Health care

Ann Kirkpatrick voted for the Affordable Care Act.She has maintained that her vote for the ACA was "her proudest vote" in Congress.Kirkpatrick also voted against numerous attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act, and to defund Planned Parenthood. She is one of 106 cosponsors of Pramila Jayapal's Medicare for All bill.

Education

In 2019, Kirkpatrick cosponsored HR 4301 The School Shooting Safety and Preparedness Act and HR4647 The College Affordability Act.

Immigration

Kirkpatrick has called for "national, comprehensive reform" of United States immigration policy. She supports increased border patrol funding, installation of a ground-based radar system often referred to as a "smart fence", and a temporary-worker program, and temporary protections for some of those living illegally in the United States.

Kirkpatrick says she supports the DREAM Act but failed to vote for the DREAM Act, in 2010.

Kirkpatrick has stated that she would have voted against Arizona's controversial immigration measure Arizona SB 1070.

In March 2014, Kirkpatrick signed a discharge petition intended to force House leaders to bring immigration reform up for a vote on the House floor.

Privacy

Kirkpatrick voted for CISPA, which would allow federal intelligence agencies to share cybersecurity intelligence and information with private entities and utilities.

Same-sex marriage

Kirkpatrick supports same-sex marriage.

Kirkpatrick is married to Roger Curley and has two children.

On 15 January 2020, Kirkpatrick announced that she was initiating treatment for alcoholism after being injured in a fall.

2004

2006

2008

2010

2012

2014

2016

2018