Democrat Adelita Grijalva has emerged victorious in a special election in Arizona’s contested political landscape, taking the congressional seat previously held by her father, a development that diminishes the already slim Republican majority in the House.
According to the Associated Press, Grijalva, who previously served as a supervisor in Pima County, won against Daniel Butierez, the Republican contender, in a contest held on Tuesday for the southern Arizona 7th Congressional District.
She will complete the remaining 15 months of the term left vacant by Raul Grijalva, who passed away in March due to complications related to cancer treatment.
Grijalva’s success was widely anticipated in this predominantly Democratic district.
The district, characterized by a majority Hispanic population, boasts nearly double the number of registered Democratic voters compared to Republicans, stretching from Yuma to Tucson and along almost the entire U.S.-Mexico border.
Republicans currently hold a 219-214 majority in the House, with two seats yet to be filled.
In addition to the vacancy in Arizona’s 7th District, another seat is open in Texas’ 18th Congressional District, a Democratic stronghold in Houston, due to the death of Democratic Rep. Sylvester Turner in March.
That special election is scheduled for November 4, coinciding with Election Day in 2025.
Meanwhile, Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District, a Republican-leaning seat, is also vacant following the resignation of Rep. Mark Green in July to pursue a private sector opportunity.
This seat will be filled in a special election scheduled for December 2.
Grijalva garnered significant support from her name recognition and backing from prominent progressive figures including Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, landing over 60% of the primary votes during a five-candidate race earlier this summer.
In that primary, progressive activist and influencer Deja Foxx finished a distant second.
With her win, Grijalva marks a historic milestone as Arizona’s first Latina in Congress, and she aggressively targeted former President Donald Trump during her campaign.
“I promise to stand against Trump’s harmful agenda in Congress, including the Big Ugly Bill that stripped coverage from nearly 383,000 Arizonans and 142,000 children,” Grijalva shared on social media, criticizing both Trump and Republican lawmakers for their contentious domestic policies, often referred to as the One Big Beautiful Bill.
In addition, Grijalva indicated that should she win, she would support a discharge petition initiated by Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna and Republican Rep. Thomas Massie, which seeks to compel the GOP-controlled House to call for the release of documents related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
During his campaign, Butierez presented himself as a candidate for change in a district that’s leaned Democratic since its inception over twenty years ago.
“This is your opportunity to elect a Representative who will advocate for everyone. If you vote, we win; if you don’t, only the radicals will be represented,” he urged on X.
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Butierez, who lost to the elder Grijalva in 2024 while Trump narrowly carried Arizona at the top of the ticket, won the Republican primary for the special election decisively this summer.
While Trump won Arizona last year after losing it in 2020, the Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Kamala Harris claimed victory in the district by 23 points.
Ken Martin, the chair of the Democratic National Committee, remarked in a statement after the election was finalized, “Rep.-elect Grijalva won a rigorous contest. Now, the people of Arizona will have a champion dedicated to standing up to Trump and advocating for families seeking real leadership in Washington.”
