By Matthew Holloway |
Democrat Pima County Supervisor Adelita Grijalva, daughter of late-Congressman Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ-07) has announced that she will resign from her County Office effective April 4th and enter the primary race for her father’s seat. Declining to run for the 7th District seat herself, Tucson Mayor Regina Romero will chair Grijalva’s campaign.
In a press release issued Monday, the Pima County Supervisor indicated that her decision largely comes from a desire to oppose the agenda of President Donald Trump, maligning X owner Elon Musk in his capacity as a special government employee as leading a “gang of billionaires […] destroying our nation.”
Grijalva said in her full statement:
“I am running for Congress because Southern Arizona deserves bold leadership that will fight for working families and stand up to Donald Trump.
“Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and their gang of billionaires are destroying our nation. They’re destroying our schools. They’re attacking our most sacred rights. They’re poisoning our environment. But together, we will stop them. This fight starts right here, right now, in southern Arizona.
“I’ve spent my life as an advocate, fighting for the brighter future we all deserve – from 20 years on the Tucson Unified School District Governing Board where I strengthened public education for all children, to the Pima County Board of Supervisors where I spearheaded investments in affordable housing and childcare, and protected our beautiful Sonoran desert. In Congress, I will work to create opportunities to help all our families achieve their American Dream – no matter who you are, where you come from, or where you live.”
Speaking with AZ Luminaria, Grijalva said, “We’re not living in normal times,” and accused the Trump administration of “dismantling our entire democracy.” The outlet reported that Grijalva will be launching a listening tour later this week with a stop in Yuma and a focus on talking “to people who have lived experience that I don’t have.”
As noted by the outlet, Grijalva will face off in the Democratic primary against former AZ State Representative Daniel Hernandez, in addition to a dozen other candidates.
Ten Republicans have reportedly filed statements of interest in the Congressional seat with Daniel Butierez, Rep. Grijalva’s 2024 opponent considered the leading GOP Primary contender. According to The Cook Political Report, District 7 is well-established as Democrat held with a rating of D+15. The late Congressman Grijalva was elected to the House of Representatives in 2003 and held his seat for over twenty years despite redistricting in 2013. In the 2024 election, Grijalva defeated Butierez by a 26.8% margin.
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
