John Anzalone is no stranger to uphill battles. He landed his first principal job at 32, and he bested a field of 43 applicants to land the top spot at Eldorado High School, where the graduation rate jumped up by 24 percentage points during his tenure.

Now at the helm of Sierra Vista High School, his latest challenge is running for Congress in a large field of viable Democratic contenders. He hopes to fill the 4th Congressional District seat held by departing Democratic Rep. Ruben Kihuen, and bring a principal’s pragmatic, consensus-building approach to a rule-making body plagued with gridlock.