Establishment-backed Democrat wins high-profile congressional primary in Arizona

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The daughter of late Democratic Rep. Raul Grijalva of Arizona has taken a big step toward succeeding her father in Congress.

Former Pima County Supervisor Adelita Grijalva won the Democratic Party primary in Arizona's 7th Congressional District, according to The Associated Press.

The younger Grijalva convincingly topped four other candidates in the heavily blue district, which stretches from Tucson to Yuma and includes almost the entire length of the state's southern border with Mexico. 

She thanked her late father for showing her "that this is how you do this work" and said she "stands on the shoulders of giants."  

The 54-year-old Grijalva enjoyed the backing of some of the state's top Democrats, including Senators Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego, state Attorney General Kris Mayes and former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. 

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Pima County Supervisor Adelita Grijalva won a Democratic Party congressional primary in Arizona in a special election in the race to succeed her late father, former Rep. Raul Grijalva. (Adelita for Congress YouTube channel)

Grijalva was also supported by two top progressive champions, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, who both backed Zohran Mamdani in the New York City Democratic mayoral primary.

Deja Foxx, a 25-year-old social media influencer and progressive activist who was hoping to follow in Mamdani's footsteps by pulling off a stunning, come-from-behind victory in a high-profile Democratic Party congressional primary, came up short.

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Foxx, who went viral as a teenager for confronting then-Republican Sen. Jeff Flake over the issue of reproductive rights, enjoyed the support of gun-control crusader David Hogg, who recently stepped down from his position as a Democratic National Committee vice chair after upsetting party leaders with his efforts backing primary challenges against what he called "asleep at the wheel" older, longtime incumbents in safe, blue districts.

Deja Foxx, a Democratic congressional candidate in the special election in Arizona's 7th Congressional District, campaigns June 28, 2025. (Deja Foxx campaign)

Hogg, who campaigned with Foxx over the weekend across the district, predicted she would "make history in Southwest Arizona."

And Hogg compared Foxx's surging poll numbers in the final days of the primary campaign to that of Mamdani, the 33-year-old Ugandan-born state lawmaker who topped former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and nine other candidates last month to win the Democratic nomination for mayor of New York City.

Foxx, speaking to supporters before the race was called, said "we have built in 100 days something that rivals what others have built over decades. We have built in 100 days the kind of enthusiasm and excitement that this party and this moment demands. We have built in 100 days something that people can get hopeful about in one of our country's darkest moments."

Former DNC Vice Chair David Hogg campaigns with Democratic congressional candidate Deja Foxx in Arizona July 12, 2025. (David Hogg)

But Grijalva, in her victory speech, emphasized that "this campaign was about talking about the importance of giving voice to this community. It was not about an individual. It was not about social media likes."

Similar to the New York City mayoral primary, the contest in southern Arizona has been viewed by many political pundits as a barometer of where the Democratic Party is headed as it deals with longstanding divisions between its establishment and outsider and progressive and moderate wings, as well as generational divides.

Former state Rep. Daniel Hernandez was also contending for the nomination. He's well known in Arizona for helping to save the life of former Democratic Rep. Gabby Giffords during a 2011 shooting in Tucson, when he was serving as an intern to the congresswoman.

Democratic Rep. Raul Grijalva of Arizona died in March from complications related to cancer treatment.  (Joshua Roberts/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Indigenous activist and scholar Jose Malvido Jr. and former healthcare executive Patrick Harris Sr. were also running for the Democratic nomination in the majority-Hispanic district where Democrats outnumber Republicans by a nearly two-to-one margin.

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More than $2 million was dished out to run ads in the Democratic primary, with some of the money coming from outside groups.

Adelita Grijalva will now be considered the frontrunner in the Sept. 23 special election over GOP nominee Daniel Butierez, in the race to serve the final 15 months of the elder Grijalva's term. He died in March from complications related to cancer treatment.