Republican Juan Ciscomani defeats Democrat Kirsten Engel in race to replace Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick

Republican Juan Ciscomani on Monday defeated Democrat Kirsten Engel to represent southeastern Arizona in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Engel had held a lead over Ciscomani overnight after Election Day but as ballots continued to be counted each day, the latest results showed Ciscomani ahead by a narrow margin. Votes are still being counted, but the Associated Press called the race for Ciscomani at 7:27 p.m. Monday.

The two had a 1 percentage point gap as of Monday.

Ciscomani's victory could help Republicans take control of the U.S. House from the Democrats.

After the close race was called for Ciscomani on Monday evening, the two wrote on Twitter that they spoke Tuesday.

“The people of this district have spoken and we must honor their decision. Just now I called Juan Ciscomani and gave him my sincere congratulations for being the people’s choice to represent AZ-06,” Engel wrote in a statement.

“He will have my support as he works to bring together this diverse district and represent all of us in Congress,” Engel continued.

“Thank you to every Arizonan who exercised their right to vote and participated in our democracy. Every Arizonan deserves to have their voice heard, and I am grateful to all of the election officials throughout our state that helped ensure our elections were safe, secure and fair,” Engel wrote.

Ciscomani wrote on Twitter that Engel congratulated him on the win after a “hard fought campaign” on both sides.

“I appreciate her civility and graciousness and wish her and her family all the best,” Ciscomani wrote.

He said the district needs leaders focused on solutions and bringing people together.

“I recommit to being an independent voice for EVERYONE in our district — no matter your party affiliation or background. We are all Americans; we are all Arizonans. It's time to deliver results for our district,” Ciscomani said in his statement.

Election coverage: Arizona election results

The 6th Congressional District seat is open because incumbent Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, a Democrat, decided to retire. It was Arizona's only open congressional seat.

Engel is a former state senator. Ciscomani was a longtime aide to Republican Gov. Doug Ducey.

Post-census redistricting shifted the old 2nd Congressional District into the new 6th Congressional District, which includes the state’s southeastern border and stretches north almost as far as Alpine and as far west as eastern Tucson.

Engel’s top two issues for the district are abortion access and water. She wants Congress to codify Roe v. Wade, and on the water front, work to make sure all basin states do their part in reducing reliance on the Colorado River, conserving water and growing water resources.

Ciscomani has said the biggest issue facing the district is fentanyl, which he’s blamed on President Joe Biden’s border policies.

On immigration and border security: Ciscomani said the first task related to immigration is securing the border, with Congress appropriating funds for an “all-of-the-above” border security approach. Then immigration discussions should start, he said. Engel also states that the southern border needs to be secured and cartels that drive drugs and human trafficking along the border dismantled. She said she would work for an increase in immigration judges and funding so legal requests move faster.

On the economy: Engel has said she supports programs at community colleges, universities and labor unions that help workers get high quality jobs, as well as paid family leave and child and elder care subsidies. Engel said Congress needs to protect Social Security, Medicare and other benefits. Ciscomani said Congress should be "unleashing American energy" and stopping massive spending bills that he believes only ends up hurting the economy. He also wants to bring the supply chain to North America to grow jobs and reduce shortages.

Republic reporter Tara Kavaler contributed to this article.

Reach the reporter at Alison.Steinbach@arizonarepublic.com or at 602-444-4282. Follow her on Twitter @alisteinbach.

Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 6th Congressional District election: Ciscomani leads over Engel