JoAnna Mendoza’s Arizona congressional bid has turned into a string of controversies, from social media behavior to a short, secret marriage, and a policy record that alarms conservatives.

JoAnna Mendoza is running in Arizona’s 6th Congressional District and her campaign has been hit with a mix of odd personal revelations and policy positions that are easy targets for critics. Her past statements and policy proposals—on policing, taxes, and gender issues—have resurfaced and are now central to the debate over her fitness for office. The race itself is competitive, and these stories are shaping how voters and opponents view her candidacy.

Mendoza’s record includes past support for defunding the police and public comments that have angered parents who want protections for girls’ sports. She has also been tied to proposals such as legalizing prostitution framed as a benefit for “trans women of color” and has faced scrutiny over statements on education and parental rights. Those stances have given Republicans ample material to argue she is out of touch with mainstream Arizona voters.

On fiscal questions, opponents point to a plan attributed to Mendoza that would raise taxes substantially—reported as more than a 30 percent increase—to fund programs aimed at supporting specific minority groups labeled in campaign messaging as ‘trans minorities.’ That line of attack hits both on policy and character, as critics frame it as evidence she would prioritize niche agendas over broader economic concerns for families and small businesses.

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Mendoza’s social media activity has also become a distraction. She was reported to have followed and then unfollowed dozens of accounts including OnlyFans creators, sexually explicit profiles, and accounts focused on witchcraft. Those actions were seized on by opponents as evidence of poor judgment and an inability to control a public persona. The episode added a salacious angle to an already bruising campaign narrative.

The official campaign Instagram account of Arizona Democratic congressional hopeful JoAnna Mendoza bizarrely followed multiple OnlyFans models, witchcraft accounts, and sexually explicit content producers.

Mendoza at one point followed a dozen accounts that frequently share sexually explicit content, including a transgender socialist who is known for sharing images of sex toys, according to screenshots of the follows taken and reviewed by The Post.

Her official Instagram account has nearly 12,000 followers and is following 1,230 users. She is still following several of the accounts in question.

Mendoza is a Marine veteran who is hoping to unseat Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz.) in Arizona’s 6th Congressional District, which the Cook Political Report election handicapper rates as a tossup.

Beyond social media, new reporting dug into Mendoza’s past marriage, which she kept largely out of public view during her campaign. Records show she married a Syrian national in 1998 while abroad, and that union lasted only a matter of days before they separated. That episode has fueled questions about judgment and transparency among voters who expect candidates to be forthcoming about their backgrounds.

Records obtained by the Daily Mail show Mendoza wed Tariq Alrawwass, then unemployed, in Syria on April 20, 1998, three years after she left the Navy and a year before she joined the Marine Corps. 

The marriage lasted 16 days. 

‘I returned to the U.S. in May of 1998, approximately one week after our marriage. Respondent did not return with me,’ Mendoza wrote in a March 2001 court filing.

She did not file for divorce until October 17, 2000, more than two years after the split, and struggled to locate Alrawwass, reaching him through a relative living in the US and through her own father, who reportedly had her ex-husband’s number.

Mendoza’s campaign spokesperson, Kyle McCarthy, told the Daily Mail: ‘JoAnna’s brief marriage at age 21 is one short chapter amid her decades of service. It ended nearly 30 years ago, and she has since built a career dedicated to service, responsibility, and helping others.’

Opponents have seized on the marriage details and demanded fuller explanations, calling the episode “fishy and weird” and saying Mendoza owes voters answers. That language echoes the tone of a campaign environment where small personal matters quickly become political liabilities. The scrutiny has not let up, and each new detail feeds a narrative of secrecy and odd choices that some voters find troubling.

Mendoza has also publicly described her opponent, Rep. Juan Ciscomani, in ways that raised eyebrows. At a fundraiser she said, “I am running against a, he’s really a snake in the grass,” Mendoza said. “He’s very charismatic, he’s got about 10 pounds of gel in his hair, good-looking guy, you know, smiles. Everybody loves him.” Those remarks came while she shared a stage with activists tied to the Defund the Police movement, a past position she has since tried to soften.

For his part, Ciscomani took the comments in stride and refused to make them the central focus of his campaign. Critics note that praise wrapped in insult and appearances with controversial activists do little to reassure swing voters. Personal gaffes and policy positions together make Mendoza an easier target for Republican messaging.

From a Republican perspective, the combination of strange social media behavior, a brief foreign marriage kept out of headlines, and a policy checklist that includes defunding police, large tax increases, and controversial positions on gender and trafficking makes Mendoza a poor fit for the seat. Her opponents argue these are not minor missteps but signs of priorities that clash with Arizona’s mainstream concerns.

Finally, several reports link outside funding and influence to her campaign, including backing that critics associate with national progressive donors. That connection has been used to argue Mendoza is more aligned with national left-wing agendas than with district voters. In a tight, tossup environment, those perceptions matter and will shape how the race unfolds in the coming months.