A decades-old marriage has become the latest point of scrutiny in Arizona’s closely watched 6th Congressional District race after public records revealed that Democratic candidate JoAnna Mendoza was briefly married to a Syrian national in 1998.
According to records obtained by the Daily Mail, Mendoza married Tariq Alrawwass in Syria on April 20, 1998. The marriage lasted just 16 days before Mendoza returned to the United States alone.
The revelation has prompted questions from Republican critics, who argue that the first-time congressional candidate should provide more information about the marriage.
“This situation is fishy and weird,” Lydia Hall, a spokeswoman for the Congressional Leadership Fund, a super PAC aligned with House Republican leadership, told the outlet. “JoAnna Mendoza owes Arizonans a full explanation.”
Court records indicate that although the marriage ended shortly after it began, Mendoza did not file for divorce until October 2000. In the filing, she stated that she had been unable to locate Alrawwass. A judge granted a default divorce in June 2001.
According to the records cited by the Daily Mail, Alrawwass never resided in the United States. The report also noted that Mendoza’s military records show she did not deploy overseas during her Navy service from 1994 to 1997, leaving unanswered questions about how the couple first met before marrying in Syria.
Mendoza has built much of her campaign around her personal story. She has frequently spoken about growing up in rural poverty, maintaining her sobriety, and raising her son as a single mother. She has also discussed being openly bisexual, a message that has helped her gain national attention and financial support from progressive organizations and LGBTQ+ advocacy groups.
Bisexual Democratic star recruit’s secret 16-day marriage exposed: ‘Fishy and weird’ https://t.co/tm7HxsiLer
— Daily Mail (@DailyMail) July 9, 2026
Before entering the congressional race, Mendoza operated a consulting firm that worked with progressive women, transgender women, and nonbinary candidates seeking public office.
Her campaign dismissed the renewed attention surrounding the nearly 30-year-old marriage, characterizing it as an attempt to distract voters from the issues.
“JoAnna’s brief marriage at age 21 is one short chapter amid her decades of service,” campaign spokesman Kyle McCarthy said. “It ended nearly 30 years ago, and she has since built a career dedicated to service, responsibility, and helping others.”
The controversy comes as Mendoza remains locked in a competitive race against Republican Rep. Juan Ciscomani in one of the nation’s key battleground House districts. The race has drawn significant national attention, and Mendoza recently outraised the incumbent as both parties invest heavily in the contest.
