Southern Arizona voters to decide on Grijalva's successor in US House race

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PHOENIX (AP) — Southern Arizona voters will select a successor Tuesday to the late U.S. Rep. Raúl Grijalva, a progressive stalwart who represented the state for more than two decades in Congress.

Grijalva died in March, resulting in the 7th Congressional District seat being one of three safely Democratic districts to become vacant due to lawmakers’ deaths. One has since been filled.

Another in Texas has yet to be filled, and a vacancy in a heavily Republican Tennessee district will be filled following an election in December.

Grijalva's daughter, Adelita Grijalva, is facing off against Republican business owner Daniel Butierez, to fill the final 15 months of the late congressman's term. Two third-party candidates also are on the ballot.

Grijalva has served on local boards, while Butierez made his political debut with an unsuccessful bid against Raúl Grijalva for the seat in 2024.

Butierez garnered more than one-third of the vote that year in the predominantly Hispanic district and expressed optimism after winning the GOP primary over the summer that he could attract more Democratic support this time.

Democrats enjoy a nearly 2-1 registration advantage over Republicans in the district, which covers parts of Tucson and a majority of the state’s border with Mexico. Most of the 7th District has been represented by Democrats since Arizona first became a state in 1912.

Grijalva has been a household name in Tucson for years. While there are benefits to name recognition, Adelita Grijalva has emphasized that she stands on her own record. The Democrat has the endorsements of fellow progressives U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Grijalva sailed to victory in the Democratic primary with more than 60% of the vote, defeating a slate that included a former state lawmaker and a Gen Z digital strategist. Similarly, Butierez won the GOP primary by large margins.

Immigration and border security have been part of the debate, as the Trump administration moves ahead with deporting people who are in the country illegally and reviewing the status of millions of others who hold U.S. visas for any violations.

Grijalva has said she would advocate for legislation that creates pathways to citizenship for recipients of the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and other migrants. She also supports prohibiting immigration enforcement operations at schools, churches and medical facilities.

Butierez has said immigration agents are enforcing the laws and that he supports efforts to deport those in the country illegally who entered during the Biden administration.