Kirsten Engel

Kirsten Engel is an American lawyer and politician who has served as a member of the Arizona House of Representatives and the Arizona Senate. Engel was the Democratic nominee in 2022 for Arizona's 6th congressional district, losing narrowly to Republican Juan Ciscomani.[1]

Kirsten Engel
Member of the Arizona Senate
from the 10th district
In office
January 11, 2021 – September 8, 2021
Preceded byDavid Bradley
Succeeded byStephanie Stahl Hamilton
Member of the Arizona House of Representatives
from the 10th district
In office
January 9, 2017 – January 11, 2021
Preceded byStefanie Mach
Bruce Wheeler
Succeeded byStephanie Stahl Hamilton
Personal details
BornChicago, Illinois
Political partyDemocratic
Children1
EducationBrown University (BA)
Northwestern University (JD)
WebsiteCampaign website

Early life and education

Engel was born and raised in Chicago.[2] She graduated magna cum laude from Brown University in 1983 and Northwestern University School of Law in 1986.[3]

Career

After law school, Engel clerked for Judge Myron H. Bright of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. Engel worked for the United States Environmental Protection Agency, then for Earthjustice under its former name.[4][5] She was an assistant attorney general in the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office until 2005.[4] She started working at the University of Arizona in 2005 and as of 2022 is a professor teaching environmental and administrative law at its James E. Rogers College of Law.[5][6]

Engel was elected to the Arizona House of Representatives in 2016 and assumed office in January 2017.[7] Engel did not seek re-election to the House in 2020 and was instead a candidate for the Arizona Senate. She assumed office in January 2021, serving until her resignation on September 8, 2021, to run for Congress.[8][9]

Environment

In her 2022 campaign, Engel identified climate change as her foremost priority.[5] Engel's 2022 campaign emphasized her support for increasing the capture of solar energy in Arizona.[10] Engel expressed support for strengthening federal measures to limit air and water pollution from power stations.[11]

Education

Engel supports increasing funding for public schools and has said that observing conditions at her daughter's public school motivated her to run for office initially.[5]

Immigration

Engel characterized the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border as "a humanitarian crisis" and expressed support for reforming asylum-seeking processes.[12]

Policing and mental health

Engel has stated she supports "some screening so that the appropriate personnel respond to the crises that right now the police are forced to respond to & would support a reallocation so that we get people who can handle the issues in our community with the expertise that they have."[13]

Personal life

Engel is married with one daughter and lives in Tucson, Arizona.[14]

References
  1. "AP says Ciscomani defeats Engel in Tucson's Congressional District 6". Arizona Daily Star. November 15, 2022. Retrieved November 18, 2022.
  2. TucsonSentinel.com. "State lawmaker Kirsten Engel announces run to fill Kirkpatrick's seat in Congress". TucsonSentinel.com. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
  3. "See Jane Run: Three Northwestern Law Alumnae Share Their Experiences in Politics". June 11, 2018.
  4. Schmidt, Caitlin. "3 Democrats vying for two House seats in Legislative District 10". Arizona Daily Star. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
  5. Parker, Sam (October 10, 2021). "UA professor and congressional candidate hosts town hall on campus". The Daily Wildcat. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
  6. Multiple sources:
  7. "State of Arizona Official Canvass 2016 General Election November 8, 2016" (PDF). Phoenix, Arizona: Secretary of State of Arizona. p. 16. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 9, 2016.
  8. Williams, Jordan (March 19, 2021). "Arizona state senator announces bid for Kirkpatrick's seat". TheHill. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
  9. Associated Press (September 8, 2021). "Engel quits Arizona Senate to focus on District 2 congressional race". Fox 10 Phoenix. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  10. Estrada, Melissa. "Here are the candidates running in Arizona's new 6th Congressional District". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
  11. Botts, Lindsey. "Push for environmental justice in underserved communities gains traction in Arizona". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
  12. "Congressional District 6 Democratic candidates debate immigration, inflation and more". Arizona PBS. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
  13. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESog4B67Pp8
  14. "House Member – Kirsten Engel". www.azleg.gov. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
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