Ann Kirkpatrick

Democrat
Candidate for U.S. House in Congressional District 1
Phone: (928) 774-1440
Email: info@kirkpatrickforarizona.com
Website: www.kirkpatrickforarizona.com
Twitter: @Ann_Kirkpatrick
432 W Cattle Drive Trail, Flagstaff, AZ 86001.
Age: 62. (03/24/50, McNary, AZ).

Arizona since: Birth.

Occupation: Attorney, Kirkpatrick & Harris, P.C. 1991-2008; instructor, business law & ethics, Coconino Community College, 2004.

Marital: Married (Roger Curley, attorney).

Children: 2.

Religious preference: Catholic.

Education: J.D., UofA College of Law, 1979; B.A., UofA, 1972.

Political experience: U.S. Representative, 2009-2010.

Legis exp: House 2005-2007.

Memberships: Bd of directors, Big Sisters; AZ State Bar Assn; bd of directors, Flagstaff Symphony Assn; bd of directors, United Way of Northern Arizona.

Political influence: My parents. My father taught me the value of a dollar when he ran the general store in the White Mountains, where I grew up. And he and my mother, who was a schoolteacher, taught me the Arizona values of hard work, self-reliance and giving back to the community. Their values are the common-sense values of greater Arizona, and they are the foundation of my political development and public service.

Top priority: My top priority is standing up for the middle class. This means creating good jobs in our district and across Arizona. I have a record of working across the aisle on such efforts, including the Copper Basin Jobs Project, the Four Forests Restoration Initiative, or the closing of the black liquor tax loopholes. Standing up for the middle class also means protecting Medicare and Social Security from drastic cuts by asking millionaires and billionaires to pay their fair share. And it means investing in education so our schools have modern classrooms, smaller class sizes and the most qualified teachers in the world.

Respected opponent: I’ve answered this question in the past, and the answer today is still former state senator Jake Flake, who hailed from the White Mountains as I do. When I was first elected to the state Legislature, I learned from him what it meant to truly serve the people of greater Arizona. He always put his district first, and he was able to work with both parties to find common ground and get things done that would help his constituents. He remains a model for me of how elected officials should act.

Job creation measures: I believe we can create jobs by investing in emerging technologies such as wind, solar and biotech. Arizona and particularly my district are ripe for this type of job creation. I also believe we can create jobs by investing in Arizona’s natural resources in a way that both strengthens our economy and protects our environment. While in Congress, I introduced legislation for a National Scenic Area designation for Sedona’s Red Rocks, and if elected I will work hard to see that through. I will also stand up to protect the Grand Canyon and the contribution the Canyon makes to Arizona’s economy by opposing any effort to open up land around the Canyon for uranium mining.

Illegal immigration: I support a federal immigration strategy that includes proper funding for border security and the tools to protect our communities from criminals, cartels and traffickers, and fair and sensible steps like the DREAM Act so we are not punishing young people who were brought into this country as children and are now working hard, playing by the rules and building a stronger future. It’s the right thing to do, and it’s why the DREAM Act has been endorsed by fair-minded people across our nation — from top Pentagon officials to editorial boards to Republicans and Democrats alike.

Federal deficit: We need to get the debt under control by cutting waste and spending on programs that don’t work. But we should not balance the budget by making drastic cuts to Medicare and Social Security benefits. Instead we need to ask millionaires to pay more taxes and end tax breaks for big corporations.

President Obama’s qualifications: No.