Adelita Grijalva is projected to win the Democratic primary to fill the congressional seat from Arizona left open by the March death of her father, Raúl Grijalva, according to Decision Desk HQ.
Grijalva’s main opponent was 25-year-old reproductive rights activist Deja Foxx.
Both Grijalva and Foxx are progressives who campaigned on similar platforms to fight for welfare programs, to protect immigrants and act on climate change. Daniel Hernández, a state lawmaker who was credited with helping to save former Rep Gabby Giffords’ life in a 2011 shooting, was also a contender who ran as a moderate.
Grijalva has served for over two decades in elected office in Tucson, both on the city’s school board and more recently on the Pima County Board of Supervisors. She campaigned on the promise that she would carry the same progressive values her father was known for during his 22 years in the congressional seat, including his long-standing commitment to fight for environmental justice.
Her platform also included defending programs like Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and advocating for housing affordability.
Grijalva was favored to win the race due to her decades of experience in local politics and because of her father’s legacy. Raúl Grijalva was viewed as a progressive champion in this part of the state during his 22-year tenure. Adelita Grijalva had secured major endorsements from progressive heavyweights including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders and benefitted from deep donor pockets.
The race made national headlines in its final weeks after Foxx, widely seen as the underdog, was able to capture the attention of young progressives across the country through her social media platforms. On TikTok and Instagram, she has hundreds of thousands of followers and was able to raise nearly a million dollars through small donors.
(Courtney Pedroza for The 19th)
Foxx argued that the seat should be led by a new generation and garnered the support of David Hogg, an activist who became famous for his work following the Parkland mass shooting. He now runs a political organization called Leaders We Deserve, aimed at building generational change for Democrats.
Foxx campaigned on her life experience growing up working class on Medicaid and SNAP and has committed to fight for the policies that she says helped her out of poverty.
Prior to running for office, Foxx worked as an activist with Planned Parenthood, and later as an influencer and digital strategist with the Kamala Harris presidential campaign in 2019. More recently she worked on the campaign to enshrine the right to abortion in the state constitution in 2024.
Grijalva is all but guaranteed to win the special election in September to represent the solidly Democratic 7th Congressional District. Because it is a special election she will have to defend the seat in the 2026 midterms.
According to the Center for American Women in Politics, the election will result in 126 women serving in the House out of 435 seats. Republicans control the U.S. House by a slim, eight-seat margin.
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