2020 presidential endorsements: Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick endorses Joe Biden

As Arizona's March 17 Democratic presidential preference election, or primary, approaches, Arizona's members of Congress and statewide elected officials will start to take sides.

Check back for regular updates.

Joe Biden

March 12: Citing the signature health care achievement of the Obama administration, Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick is backing former Vice President Joe Biden, saying he can deliver results from the start.

“Voting for the Affordable Care Act was one of my proudest moments in Congress," Kirkpatrick, D-Ariz., said in a written statement. "This critical legislation has been life-changing for so many families in Arizona and around the country. Joe Biden helped make the Affordable Care Act a reality. I worked with him while serving in Congress — I know that on day one he’ll be able to get to work and deliver results on issues facing our country. He is a leader who will unite and heal our country. I’m proud to be voting for Joe Biden on Tuesday.”

— Yvonne Wingett Sanchez

March 6: Vice President Joe Biden is the best candidate to serve as commander in chief, Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., said.

"On day one Joe will immediately be able to get to work getting our country back on track and delivering for American families," Gallego said. "Representing a growing, vibrant, and diverse region in Congress, Donald Trump’s reckless attacks on immigrants, health care, and our environment are deeply personal. I know Joe Biden has the wisdom, experience, compassion, and empathy to beat Donald Trump and get our government working again.”

Gallego, a former combat veteran, represents Arizona's 7th Congressional District. He was elected to the seat in 2014 and has been a vocal critic of Trump's administration.

— Yvonne Wingett Sanchez

March 4: The day after Joe Biden's strong Super Tuesday showing, Arizona's Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema threw her support his way.

Sinema, a moderate Democrat, became the first from her party to win a Senate seat in Arizona in 30 years. Broadly speaking, her politics are similar to his.

Sinema made her endorsement announcement with an email from her campaign side.

“I am voting for former Vice President Joe Biden — a pragmatic, practical leader best positioned to get things done for everyday families. We certainly don't agree on every issue; I always vote for Arizona first. Vice President Biden is authentic, genuine, and has a track record of building bipartisan coalitions to achieve results. Not all candidates in this race represent those Arizona values. Joe Biden does.”

Sinema's endorsement came the day before Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., is scheduled to hold his first campaign rally in downtown Phoenix.

— Yvonne Wingett Sanchez

March 2: On the eve of Super Tuesday, Arizona Senate candidate Mark Kelly threw his support for president behind Joe Biden.

"A lot of Arizonans are deciding who to support in the primary," Kelly wrote on Twitter. "It’s an important choice that will shape how we address a changing economy, and how we tackle issues like the rising costs of health care and education.

"Joe Biden understands the challenges Arizonans face and knows what it’s like to be knocked down, get back up, and keep serving others. We need a president who will unite us and find common ground to get things done. That’s why I’ll be voting for Joe Biden."

Kelly's endorsement of Biden should come as no surprise, given Kelly's own moderate politics and the pair's personal history.

Biden was one of the many people who reached out to Kelly after the 2011 mass shooting near Tucson that killed six and left 13 wounded, including Kelly's wife, former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz. In the fall of that year, Biden and Giffords presented Kelly with the Legion of Merit and the Distinguished Flying Cross medals for his 25 years of service with the Navy and NASA during his retirement ceremony.

Kelly's endorsement could help neutralize the narrative that Sen. Martha McSally, R-Ariz., and her Republican allies are heaping on him, by trying to tether him to socialism via U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.

— Yvonne Wingett Sanchez

March 1: The day after former Vice President Joe Biden's decisive victory in the South Carolina primary, Rep. Greg Stanton, D-Ariz., announced his support of Biden.

“This election is the most important in modern history, and Joe Biden is the best choice to defeat Donald Trump and unite and heal our country," Stanton, a former Phoenix mayor, said in an written statement provided to The Arizona Republic by the Biden campaign. "Joe will deliver real, meaningful results for Arizona families by improving and expanding access to health care, creating good jobs, and re-establish America’s role as leader on the global stage – especially when it comes to combating climate change. I know that Joe is not only the best candidate to take back the White House, but the best choice to make sure that we have majorities who will fight for working families in both the House and Senate.”

Stanton is a House freshman who represents the Phoenix-based 9th Congressional District.

— Dan Nowicki