Grijalva Daughter Adelita Announces Run for Late Father's Congressional Seat

Rep. Raul Grijalva

Pima County Supervisor Adelita Grijalva, daughter of the late Representative Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), has announced her bid for her father's Congressional seat.

"I want to run for Congress because this community, Southern Arizona, deserves the bold leadership that they've had with my dad for the last 22 years," said Ms. Grijalva in a statement to the Tucson Sentinel, adding, "At this time in our nation, we can't negotiate with a party of extremists, and you need people who are going to stand up for something. I'm going to stand up for Southern Arizona."

The Sentinel described Grijalva's platform as similar to her father's, prioritizing environmental concerns, education, and immigration reform, which she said were "important issues" to her.

"I spent 20 years on the TUSD board. I spent 26 years working at a nonprofit with families that overwhelmingly were low socioeconomic and children of color," Grijalva continued.

The late Congressman's daughter has already received support from Arizona Democrats, including Tucson Mayor Regina Romero, who was initially considered a contender for the seat.

As Cactus Politics covered in mid-March, the District 7 race is already crowded. Eight Republicans, including Daniel Butierez, Raul Grijalva's 2024 Election rival, are in the running. Three Democrats, one Libertarian, and one Green Party member have also announced their bids.

Current Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes (D) had also expressed "strong interest" in a run but later changed his mind in an announcement posted on X (formerly Twitter). He said, "It is clear to me that our party must fight harder and stand up to the rising tide of fascism sweeping this nation," claiming President Donald Trump is "laying the groundwork to cancel elections in 2026."

"After careful thought and reflection, I have decided that for family, for country, and for democracy, I will continue to defend America as Arizona's Secretary of State," Fontes concluded.

The special primary for the late Rep. Grijalva's seat is July 15th, and the election will be held on September 23rd.

Grayson Bakich

Florida born and raised, Grayson Bakich is a recent recipient of a Master’s Degree in Political Science at the University of Central Florida. His thesis examined recent trends in political polarization and how this leads into justification of violence.