OAN Staff Katherine Mosack
11:48 AM – Wednesday, September 24, 2025
Democrat Adelita Grijalva won the special election for Arizona’s heavily blue 7th congressional district — defeating Republican Daniel Butierez.
The district encompasses most of Arizona’s southern border and a large portion of Tucson.
The seat formerly belonged to Grijalva’s father, Representative Raúl Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.), who served in Congress for 22 years before passing away in March at 77 from “complications from cancer treatment.” The now-deceased Congressman co-chaired the Congressional Progressive Caucus and the Natural Resources Committee.
Meanwhile, his newly-elected 54-year-old daughter, representing the same party, is expected to continue his legacy of progressive politics. One of her main issues, according to her campaign website, is to “fight Trump’s economic chaos.” This includes fighting against “harmful tariffs and wasteful border militarization,” according to the now-Congresswoman.
Along with advocating for “transgender and LGBTQ+ communities so they can be their authentic selves,” Grijalva will “cosponsor and fight for the Women’s Health Protection Act to restore abortion access nationwide.”
However, the newly-elected Grijalva told ABC News ahead of the Democrat primary: “I’m not running on my last name, it’s just my last name. So, my dad left really big shoes to fill, but I stand on my own two feet in my more than two decades of public service to Arizona, and I’m proud to be supported by leaders and organizations that are leading the progressive movement.”
Grijalva was previously elected to the Pima County Board of Supervisors, and she also worked for the Pima County Teen Court for over 25 years. She is endorsed by Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), as well as the Progressive Caucus.
The broader implication of Grijalva’s win, in relation to the makeup of the House of Representatives, is that once she is sworn in, House Republicans will have a slim majority — with 219 seats to the Democrats’ 214.
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