Key Points

• Late-U.S. Rep. Raúl Grijalva’s death left a vacancy in CD7

• Three popular Democrats, including Grijalva’s daughter, have filed for the seat

• The race will be a battle between moderate and progressive Democrats

The stage is set in the race to fill late-U.S. Rep. Raúl Grijalva’s seat in Congressional District 7 after candidates filed nomination petitions on April 14 to secure their spot on the ballot.

In a race that is all but certain to be decided in the primary, all eyes have been on the Democratic candidates Adelita Grijalva, Daniel Hernandez and Deja Foxx. 

All three submitted far more than the required 798 signatures to make the ballot by the deadline, with Grijalva submitting the most at 1,812. 

Grijalva, who hopes to fill her father’s seat, noted she reached the 798 signature requirement only four and a half hours after announcing her candidacy thanks to the state’s online signature gathering website. She told reporters at a press conference on April 14 that her success indicates that voters in CD7 are looking for someone to carry Raúl Grijalva’s progressive torch.

“Nobody’s going to be able to fill my father’s shoes, and I’m not going to try. But I do stand on really broad shoulders, and I’m standing on my own two feet,” Grijalva said. 

She recently resigned from her position on the Pima County Board of Supervisors, where she served for four years, to run for the CD7. Prior to that, Grijalva served for 20 years on the Tucson Unified School District Governing Board. 

Hernandez, a former state lawmaker, is also part of a political family with deep ties to Tucson. He and his sisters, state Reps. Alma Hernandez, D-Tucson, and Consuelo Hernandez, D-Tucson, are known for their moderate bent and pro-Israel stances.

Scott Jones, the state legislative director for the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers, announced the union’s endorsement of Daniel Hernandez at a press conference on April 14 because of that centrist streak.

“They are very moderate, they can work with anybody and everybody that will work with them,” Jones said of the Hernandez siblings. 

Hernandez submitted 1,724 signatures and announced that his campaign has raised over $400,000 and secured another union endorsement from the Arizona Federation of Teachers. Grijalva and Hernandez will be fighting for crucial endorsements in the next few weeks from labor unions, environmental groups and progressive organizations.

Grijalva noted that many organizations are not yet ready to endorse because they were not expecting to have to make endorsements during an off-year for Arizona elections. But she has the backing of some of Arizona’s largest Democratic names, like U.S. Sens. Ruben Gallego and Mark Kelly and former U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords. 

The two candidates have split the state Legislature’s Democratic caucus nearly in half, with Hernandez claiming endorsements from state Sens. Eva Diaz, Sally Ann Gonzales and state Reps. Kevin Volk, Elda Luna-Najera, Myron Tsosie and Lydia Hernandez. Grijalva is backed by Senate Minority Leader Priya Sundareshan, Sen. Rosanna Gabaldon and Reps. Marianna Sandoval, Betty Villegas, Stephanie Stahl Hamilton, Nancy Gutierrez and Chris Mathis. 

The race is shaping up to be a fight between progressive and moderate Democratic ideas, with Grijalva pledging to uphold her father’s legacy and Hernandez arguing Democrats did not have a winning message in 2024. 

“I think the biggest problem that we’re having right now is the Democratic party is, frankly, out of touch with what the needs are of everyday Arizonans,” Hernandez told The Arizona Capitol Times. 

Hernandez did not directly respond to a question about whether or not he is the moderate candidate in the race, but emphasized his ability to work with people in both political parties during his time in the Legislature and said it is something he plans to carry over if elected.

Grijalva has yet to respond to inquiries from the Arizona Capitol Times.

While Grijalva and Hernandez are the highest profile candidates in the race, they are not the only Democrats on the primary ballot. Deja Foxx, a political influencer who worked on Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign in 2024, is also running for the seat.

Foxx has framed herself as an alternative to the traditional Democratic establishment and is one of several Gen Z candidates running for blue seats in congress this year. Her campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

The candidates have limited time to get their message out to voters, with mail ballots going out on June 18 and the primary scheduled to take place on July 15.