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 by | David Bradley |
Succeeded by | Stephanie Stahl Hamilton |
Member of the Arizona House of Representatives from the 10th district | |
In office January 9, 2017 – January 11, 2021 | |
Preceded by | Stefanie Mach Bruce Wheeler |
Succeeded by | Stephanie Stahl Hamilton |
Personal details | |
Born | Chicago, Illinois | November 28, 1961
Political party | Democratic |
Children | 1 |
Education | Brown University (BA) Northwestern University (JD) |
Website | Campaign website |
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]
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[update] 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]
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]
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]
Engel characterized the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border as "a humanitarian crisis" and expressed support for reforming asylum-seeking processes.[12]
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][better source needed]
Engel is married with one daughter and lives in Tucson, Arizona.[14]