Adelita Grijalva wins Arizona special primary in bid to succeed her late father

Adelita Grijalva, a former Pima County supervisor and daughter of the late Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.), won the Democratic nomination to succeed her father and represent Arizona’s 7th Congressional District, according to a Decision Desk HQ projection.

Adelita Grijalva, 54, beat four other challengers in the Democratic primary to succeed her father, who represented the Arizona House district until he died in March, prompting a special election to replace him. 

The district stretches across much of the state’s southern border and includes portions of Tucson.

The former Pima County supervisor’s most competitive challengers included former state Rep. Daniel Hernandez, who gained prominence for helping save former Rep. Gabby Giffords’s (D-Ariz.) life when he was an intern during the 2011 shooting, and influencer Deja Foxx.

The Arizona special primary received national attention, not just because of the late Grijalva’s prominence, but also because it was seen as yet another test for a party grappling with generational tensions within its ranks.

The 25-year-old Foxx had seen some momentum in the closing weeks of the race, leading to speculation that the party could see another upset similar to the one in New York City’s mayoral primary in June, in which 33-year-old democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani defeated former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D).

But unlike Cuomo, Adelita Grijalva enjoyed endorsements not only from members of the party’s center, such as Arizona Sens. Mark Kelly (D) and Ruben Gallego (D), but also progressives including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.).

Grijalva touted her experience in the community in the days leading up to the race.

“When I say I am a proponent of preschool, it’s not just saying that I’m going to do preschool. I actually created a whole system in Pima County, where every year, $10 million is dedicated to free preschool,” she told The Hill, referring to the Pima Early Education Program Scholarships, which the Pima County Board of Supervisors voted for in 2021.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris carried the district in November by 22 points, meaning Grijalva is seen as the heavy favorite to win the seat in the special general election Sept. 23.

Updated July 16 at 8:38 a.m. EDT