Adelita Grijalva has won the Democratic primary for her late father’s Congressional District 7 seat.
Energy was high in the crowded El Casino Ballroom in South Tucson, after early polling results showed Adelita Grijalva in the lead in the Congressional District 7 Democratic primary.
The former Pima County Supervisor stepped down from the Board back in April, to campaign for her late father’s seat.
The five-way race between frontrunners Grijalva and 25-year-old progressive influencer Deja Foxx, became the most competitive in the district where Democrats outnumber Republicans nearly two to one.
Although Foxx gained significant support on social media, 54 year-old Grijalva said her campaign was also able to reach young voters.
“We need to focus on making sure that young people feel valued… When we say that we want young people as part of the decision making process, that they’re welcomed, and that was one thing we did in this campaign, which is why I think it was so successful,” she said.
In September she’ll face off against Republican nominee Daniel Butierez, who received 60% of the vote in his primary race.
Runner-up Jorge Rivas, a Tucson restaurant owner, received 25%. Butierez owns a painting company and is backed by Donald Trump. He also faced the late congressman Grijalva in the 2024 general election, receiving 64% of the vote.
According to the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office, all ballots were counted by midmorning Wednesday. Turnout was just over 16% in the special primary.
Butierez said even in a blue district, people want change from the late congressman’s legacy of over two decades in Congress, and said his campaign appeals to independents.
“We’ve got a homeless crisis, we’ve got a drug pandemic,” he said. “They might not align with me, maybe they do, maybe they don’t but let’s fix the things that I can fix.
Before being elected to the Pima County Board of Supervisors, Grijalva spent 20 years on the Tucson Unified School District’s governing board.
Grijalva called the district “multi-generational,” in a speech Tuesday night.
“I stand on the shoulders of giants. Many of them are here, and I think that when we have those examples of our warriors in our community, our elders and our young people, this is a campaign that was multi-generational, because this community is multi generational,”
Supporters like small business owner Lupita Tineo said the district values the late congressman’s progressive legacy of environmental justice and immigration reform. The district stretches across nearly 350 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border.
“You’re talking about one of the only congressmen that represented indigenous people, LGBTQ people, immigrants, protected lands, I mean this man had a heart for everyone,” she said.
During her campaign, Grijalva received endorsements from Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Whoever wins a special general election on September 23 will serve the remainder of the two-year congressional term.
