On July 15, Adelita Grijalva won the Democratic Party primary for Southern Arizona’s 7th Congressional District in a special election to fill the seat previously held by her late father, United States Rep. Raúl Grijalva.
Grijalva won more than 60% of the votes, beating former state lawmaker Daniel Hernandez, 25-year-old political content creator Deja Foxx and other Democratic hopefuls.
Foxx, who turned the eligible age to run for congress in April, mobilized a young following online and gained significant attention. However, her popularity online didn’t translate into votes — she received just 22% of the total.
Grijalva, a Pima County supervisor and local leader, is viewed as the frontrunner of the election with support from national progressive figures in congress including Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
The special election marks the first time in over two decades that Arizona’s 7th Congressional District, which is historically progressive with Latino dense region, has had an open seat. While many voters online expressed desire for generational change in leadership, voter turnout favored familiarity and experience.
“I think being a progressive right now looks different to everybody,” said Eddie Barron, a Grijalva campaign volunteer. “But I think at the end of the day, it is making sure that we are fighting wholeheartedly for a working-class agenda.”
“What we need are fighters who can go to [Washington] D.C., stand up for working families, with 2 feet on the ground and arms swinging,” Barron said. He added that he believes Grijalva has the determination to deliver on that vision if elected.
After her loss, Foxx expressed her support for Grijalva in an Instagram statement on July 16. “Let’s take what we’ve learned, keep organizing, and keep building. I’m proud to offer my full support to our nominee, Adelita Grijalva, in the next phase of this race,” Foxx said.
Although the Democratic candidates held similar policy positions — supporting immigrants, the preservation of medicaid and opposing President Donald Trump — the special primary showed the various approaches of progressivism and how it is practiced this year.
Grijalva will face Republican candidate Daniel Butierez on Tuesday, Sept. 23.
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