2/5

Representative Kirkpatrick has had a turbulent electoral career. She was first elected in 2008 on Obama's coattails before losing her seat in the 2010 Republican wave. She won it back in 2012 and held onto it until 2016 when she gave it up to run for the Senate against McCain. In 2018 she made a successful play to get back in the House, but this time, from a different district. You just have to respect that kind of hustle.

Kirkpatrick's overarching record is not great, but it has gotten noticeably better since she switched from representing a Romney +2 district to a Clinton +5 district. She voted to block Obama's Clean Power Plan back in 2015 and still refuses to sign onto the Green New Deal. At the same time, she is a vocal supporter of Medicare for All. You would never confuse her with a progressive, but she is less infuriating then many of her New Democrat compatriots. The bottom line is that on healthcare, immigration, and social issues, Kirkpatrick has moved to the left, but she remains stubbornly centrist when it comes to climate, and foreign/defense policy.

You don't have a comeback record like Kirkpatrick's by being out of touch with the electorate. She clearly has a good feel for her voters and will not be caught napping by a progressive insurgent. One gets the feeling that when the chips are down, she is ready to cut deals with the left, so Kirkpatrick should not be a top primary priority.