Democrat Adelita Grijalva — a former county supervisor and daughter of the late Rep. Raul Grijalva — has won a special election in Arizona’s seventh district, narrowing Republicans’ slim House majority even more.
Grijalva beat out Republican Daniel Butierez, a business owner, in a contest on Tuesday, securing 71% of the vote to her competitor’s 28%, as of that evening.
Grijalva has described herself as a progressive champion, running on a platform of defending Medicaid, protecting abortion access and fighting for environmental justice. She’s also denounced Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) tactics as “inhumane” and been a vocal critic of Israel’s offensive in Gaza, describing it as “genocide.”
Grijalva previously won a competitive primary that included a challenge from Gen Z activist Deja Foxx, who stressed the need for generational change. Grijalva will take over the historically blue seat held by her late father, who passed away in March from complications related to cancer treatments.
She’ll also be the first Latina lawmaker Arizona has elected to Congress.
