Southern Arizona Votes in Key Congressional Primary Tuesday \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ Arizona voters will choose nominees to replace the late Rep. Raúl Grijalva in Tuesday’s special congressional primaries. Five Democrats and three Republicans are competing to represent the heavily Democratic 7th District. The winners will face off in a Sept. 23 special election to fill the final 15 months of Grijalva’s term.
Quick Looks
- Special primaries will be held Tuesday in Arizona’s 7th District
- Eight candidates seek to complete the late Rep. Grijalva’s term
- Adelita Grijalva, the congressman’s daughter, leads Democratic endorsements
- Daniel Hernandez leads fundraising but trails in cash on hand
- Deja Foxx, age 25, brings youth and progressive activism
- GOP race includes past candidates Butierez, Rivas, and Rodriguez
- Democrats hold a strong registration edge districtwide
- Final election will be held on Sept. 23
- The AP will monitor vote results, turnout, and recount rules
Deep Look
Voters in southern Arizona will head to the polls Tuesday for special primaries that will determine which candidates compete to finish the late Rep. Raúl Grijalva’s term in Congress. Grijalva, a long-serving progressive Democrat, passed away in March following complications from cancer treatment. His death triggered a special election process to fill the remaining 15 months of his tenure representing Arizona’s 7th Congressional District.
The sprawling 7th District covers a vast swath of southern Arizona, stretching from Yuma to Tucson and following nearly the entire Arizona-Mexico border. Although the outcome won’t affect overall control of the U.S. House, the race is one of three upcoming special elections in Democratic-leaning districts that could reduce the GOP’s slim 220-212 House majority this fall.
Democratic Field: A Progressive Lineup
Five Democrats are vying for the nomination, with Adelita Grijalva—daughter of the late congressman—emerging as a frontrunner. A former Pima County Supervisor, she’s backed by key figures in the Democratic Party, including U.S. Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego, Attorney General Kris Mayes, and former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. High-profile national endorsements from Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez further solidify her progressive credentials.
Daniel Hernandez, who previously ran in a neighboring district, brings a compelling story to the race. As an intern in 2011, he helped save Giffords’ life after she was shot in a Tucson assassination attempt. Although he’s led in fundraising, with nearly $1 million raised, high campaign spending has left him with just $37,000 in reserves as of late June.
Another prominent contender is Deja Foxx, a 25-year-old activist and social media influencer. She first gained attention at 16 when she publicly challenged Sen. Jeff Flake on reproductive rights during a 2017 town hall. Foxx later worked on Kamala Harris’s 2020 presidential campaign and has publicly declared aspirations for the presidency.
Two additional Democrats—Indigenous scholar and activist Jose Malvido Jr. and former healthcare executive Patrick Harris Sr.—round out the field.
Republican Field: Familiar Faces
The Republican ballot features three business owners with prior political ambitions: Daniel Butierez, Jorge Rivas, and Jimmy Rodriguez. Butierez, a contractor, was the GOP nominee against Grijalva in 2024 and earned 37% of the vote. He has loaned his campaign nearly $180,000 and leads the Republican field in cash on hand.
Rivas, a restaurant owner, ran a short-lived 2022 campaign for governor and previously faced criticism for attending a Trump rally, which sparked backlash toward his business. Rodriguez, a general contractor, ran unsuccessfully in Vermont after initially launching a campaign in Arizona’s 8th District in 2020.
District Dynamics and Voter Demographics
The 7th District is majority Hispanic and spans six counties, with Pima County accounting for over 60% of registered voters. While Maricopa County often dominates Arizona elections, it plays a smaller role in this district compared to Pima, with Yuma and Santa Cruz trailing.
Democrats enjoy a nearly 2-to-1 voter registration advantage over Republicans, both districtwide and across most counties. The only exception is a small section of Pinal County where Republicans lead.
As of June 16, the district had nearly 440,000 registered voters: 175,000 Democrats, 92,000 Republicans, and 165,000 independents. Turnout in the 2024 primary was modest—12% for Democrats and 5% for Republicans—with most voters casting ballots early.
By the eve of this primary, nearly 49,000 Democratic and 14,000 Republican ballots had already been submitted.
Election Procedure, Projections, and Recounts
Polls close Tuesday at 7 p.m. local time (10 p.m. ET), and no results will be reported until at least 11 p.m. ET. Arizona doesn’t observe Daylight Saving Time, so timing remains consistent year-round.
The Associated Press will cover results in both primaries but will only declare a winner once it’s mathematically impossible for trailing candidates to overtake the leader. In cases of recounts, which are automatic if the margin is 0.5% or less, the AP may still project a winner if the margin appears insurmountable.
During the 2024 presidential election, the AP began reporting district results at 10 p.m. ET and concluded initial counting by 6:44 a.m. ET, covering about 55% of total votes cast.
The winners of Tuesday’s primaries will face off in a Sept. 23 special general election—just 70 days away. While this race won’t tip the balance of power in Congress alone, it’s being closely watched for signs of momentum ahead of the 2026 midterms.
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