Arizona’s Solidly Blue Congressional Seat is Open: Who Will Succeed Raúl Grijalva?

PHOENIX – For more than 20 years, southern Arizona’s congressional seat was held by Democratic Rep. Raúl Grijalva, known for his strong advocacy on behalf of environmental, immigrant, and Native American issues, and he was a prominent figure in progressive politics.

Despite his tendency to take firm but often unsuccessful stands, he played a leading role among progressive lawmakers and easily overcame Republican opposition until his career concluded with his passing in March at the age of 77.

Now, his daughter is one of several Democrats aiming to succeed him in the 7th Congressional District, while three Republicans are competing for the GOP nomination in the July 15 primary. The winners will compete in the Sept. 23 general election.

Six of Arizona’s nine U.S. House members are Republican. But the 7th District is a Democratic stronghold, so much so that national Republicans don’t talk about picking it up, said pollster Mike O’Neil. It stretches across most of the state’s border with Mexico and includes parts of Tucson and nearby counties.

Still, the GOP candidates are holding out hope for change for the first time in 22 years.

Here’s a look at the candidates:

A handful of Democratic hopefuls

Adelita Grijalva, who served on local governing boards, is regarded as the frontrunner. The Democratic candidates also include former state lawmaker Daniel Hernandez, who is credited with helping save then-U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords’ life when she was shot outside a Tucson grocery store in 2011.

Digital strategist and reproductive rights advocate Deja Foxx, Indigenous activist and scholar Jose Malvido Jr. and retired health care executive Patrick Harris Sr. round out the field.

All but one of the Democrats — Hernandez — said they oppose a massive copper mining project in the district that environmentalists and Native American tribes say will decimate the landscape and destroy sacred sites. Hernandez said environmental protection and job creation can happen simultaneously.

The Democrats’ policy stances otherwise are similar in denouncing President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdowns as cruel. Cuts to Medicaid and Medicare will hurt residents and rural hospitals, they say.

Adelita Grijalva, whose values she says align with her father’s, pushed back against notions she’s an establishment candidate.

“In more than two decades of public service to Arizona, I have a record of my own,” Grijalva said.

Hernandez, a former congressional candidate in a neighboring district, touted his advocacy for gun violence survivors and transgender rights. He said he’s not worried about the GOP flipping the 7th District because of its working class and Latino electorate.

Foxx, who at 25 is the youngest Democratic candidate, has shared that her life story includes government housing, subsidized health care and food assistance while being raised by a single mother in Tucson.

She led influencer strategy for Kamala Harris’ 2020 presidential campaign. “You can expect me to be outspoken, to be an obstructionist to Donald Trump” if elected, she said.

Malvido has spoken out against the killings of Palestinians in the Israel-Hamas war, believes the United States needs to preserve the separation of powers and wants to reconnect with working class voters.

Patrick Harris has proposed setting a national wealth threshold of $1 billion and taxing the excess if it’s not reinvested or donated within a year to keep the American dream within reach.

Trio of Latinos vie for GOP nod

The Republicans in the running generally favor Trump’s immigration crackdown, though painting company owner Daniel Butierez objected to enforcement around schools and churches. Off-road vehicle businessman Jimmy Rodriguez says he’s open to immigrants filling jobs in the farming and construction industries, as long as they’re not convicted criminals.

Butierez and restaurant owner Jorge Rivas support Trump’s bill of tax breaks and funding cuts but share concerns with Democrats about losing health care funding.

Butierez’s path to political life has been unconventional. He was imprisoned in a drug case but was found to have been wrongly convicted. He credited religion for turning his life around and said his experiences in life and his business sense make him suited to serve in Congress.

“I believe there’s going to be a shift,” said Butierez, who captured 36% of the vote in the 2024 election against Raúl Grijalva. “I actually believe it’s going to be a complete upset.”

Rivas immigrated to the United States when his native El Salvador was embroiled in a civil war in the 1980s. He started serving meals from a food wagon and now operates a Mexican restaurant as a U.S. citizen. He said his success came from hard work and a little luck.

“I know how bad things can get when you don’t have the right people in power,” he said.

Rodriguez, who ran for Congress in Vermont in 2020, said he was inspired to seek public office after enduring hardships following the loss of his 19-year-old son who was hit while photographing an off-road race in Nevada.

Three years later, he pleaded guilty to making a false statement to a government agency and was sentenced to five years of probation in Arizona. He said he’s owned the mistake and is making amends.

“I really want to be the representative that I needed back when I went through all this with my son, and I think I’m capable,” he said.