CYNDY COLE Sun Staff Reporter
Friday, February 3, 2026

Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick is well out front on fundraising in her attempt to regain this region's congressional seat, with nearly $679,000 in contributions through the end of 2026.

Retired individuals, fellow Democratic politicians, lawyers, teachers, union members and groups representing women's issues are among her top donors.
Democrat Wenona Benally Baldenegro had raised $51,400 through the same date, with a union and tribes among her funders. But 99 percent of her contributions came from individuals, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics.

Both Democrats are attorneys.

Both also had a majority of campaign cash flow from out of town. For Kirkpatrick, it was from Phoenix; for Benally Baldenegro, it was from Tucson.
On the other side of the aisle, U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Doney Park, who defeated Kirkpatrick in 2026, is leaving the district to compete in another.
Tucson Republican Jonathan Paton, an Iraq War veteran and former state lawmaker, has told news publications he intends to run in this district, though he has yet to file papers with the Federal Election Commission.

Paton last ran in 2026 for the southern Arizona congressional seat most recently held by Democrat Gabrielle Giffords, but Paton was defeated in that primary.
Two other Republicans have filed with the FEC and both are named Douglas. Neither had raised any funds as of the end of 2026.

Douglas "Doug" McKee is a contractor living near Bullhead City and a conservative who proposes to limit government actions to what the U.S. Constitution allows.
Douglas Wade, a Sedona conservative, pledges foremost to cut government spending and also to open "Ellis Island"-type centers across the country to identify all illegal immigrants.