Democrats ponder chances of defeating Schweikert
United in their concern over climate change, gun violence and their disdain for Rep. David Schweikert, Democratic congressional hopefuls Hiral Tipirneni and Anita Malik quibbled Thursday over who made traditionally red districts more purple in 2018.
Tipirneni and Malik, who each made inroads in GOP-held congressional districts in losing efforts last year, avoided personal attacks at a candidates forum in Fountain Hills. They offered only mildly different accounts of how best to defeat Schweikert, R-Ariz., the fiveterm incumbent in the 6th Congressional District, traditionally a Republican stronghold.
Joined by Stephanie Rimmer, a businesswoman making her first bid for Congress, the Democratic candidates played up their career backgrounds in an effort to win over the 100 or so Democrats in attendance at the Fountain Hills Community Center.
Tipirneni, a former emergency room physician and cancer research advocate, reprised her 2018 promise in two runs in the West Valley-based 8th Congressional District to make health care the central concern of her data-driven approach to public policy.
“Let Medicare compete in the private marketplace,” she said. “It drives down costs. It enhances competition. … This is an urgent crisis, and this is an immediate answer. We could implement this tomorrow, and ease the burden for millions of Americans.”
Malik, a businesswoman from the technology industry, said she would continue building her base and reaching out to the GOP-friendly business community where Schweikert has won.
“I know (this district) like the back of my hand. I’ve lived here since I was in the third grade,” Malik said, alluding to Tipirneni’s residence just outside the district. Schweikert “thinks he’s math. … I will attack him on his false numbers, on his attack on Social Security, on his attack on Medicare, and yes, his ethics investigation.”
Democrats nationally have circled Schweikert’s Scottsdale-based district as a possible pickup in 2020, in part because of the pending ethics investigation into alleged misspending by Schweikert’s campaign and office.
Rimmer said her decades-long work in business and social circles will help her connect with voters in a way that builds on the Democrats’ better showing in 2018.
“I’ve been here for 24 years, day in and day out. Those doors that are opening for Anita now after two years have been open to me the entire time,” said Rimmer, who ran for the Legislature in 2006 and 2008. “I’ve been working with the community members. I know what’s gone on in their lives. … One of the things I can definitely say is David has not worked those areas. In fact, I have not seen him since he was elected to Congress.”
Tipirneni, who lost the race for a West Valley-based district in November by 10.9 percentage points, noted her campaign peeled away the greatest share of votes from its support for President Donald Trump in 2016.
Malik, who lost to Schweikert last year by 10.4 percentage points, said she had most closed the gap with Democrats’ GOP opponents.
The Democratic forum in Fountain Hills is a sign of the party’s efforts to expand into traditionally GOP-dominated areas of Arizona.
The Democrats only formed a group here in the past two years, organizers said.
Even so, a municipal planning meeting drew far more attendees, though the competing televised Democratic presidential debate may have depressed turnout at the 6th Congressional District event.