Adelita Grijalva wins congressional seat in Arizona

(The Center Square) – Early results show Adelita Grijalva as the winner of the special election in Arizona Congressional District 7, with nearly 70% of the vote.

The daughter of late U.S. Rep. Raúl Grijalva, Adelita Grijalva told reporters she will get started as soon as she takes office.

“We are hoping for the midterm, but respectfully, I’m showing up and making things happen on day one,” Adelita Grijalva told reporters. “I think there is an opportunity for us to try to convince people that who they need to represent is the people that elected them in their community and not billionaires and corporations.”

According to unofficial results, the race was not close. The Arizona Secretary of State's Office reported Wednesday morning that Grijalva, the Democratic candidate for the traditionally Democratic seat in southern Arizona, had 68.6% of the vote in Tuesday's election, with 61,208 ballots cast for her. Her Republican opponent, Daniel Butierez, had 29.8% of the vote, or 26,578 ballots cast in his favor. The results are based on 100% of the precincts reporting, with voter turnout at 20.34%.

There are 2,466 early ballots left to be processed, along with 1,611 uncounted ballots and small numbers in a couple other categories. The numbers aren't enough to change the election outcome.

Tuesday's election had no impact on who controls the U.S. House, where Republicans continue to maintain control with a narrow majority. 

A businessman, Butierez lost to Raúl Grijalva in the 2024 election.

Raúl Grijalva died in March of complications from cancer treatments. Soon after, Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, set a primary on July 15 and a general election for Sept. 23.

Adelita Grijalva defeated several Democrats in the July primary. During an August debate covered by The Center Square, Butierez tried to persuade voters to support a change in leadership and a new direction on issues including immigration reform.

“It’s time for someone who has built things to go in there and change that,” said Butierez. “That someone is me.”

Voters disagreed with Butierez and opted to send Adelita Grijalva, a former member of the Pima County Board of Supervisors, to Washington, D.C. Adelita Grijalva also worked at Pima County Teen Court.

The Arizona Secretary of State’s office reports that voters turned out “in large numbers, with the vast majority choosing to vote by mail” in Tuesday’s special election. 

“The bipartisan trust we’re seeing now shows just how far Arizona has come since the audit-driven chaos of 2021,” said Secretary of State Adrian Fontes in a press release. “Voters believe in the system, and they’re showing it by turning out in strong numbers.”

Congressional District 7 lies along Arizona's border with Mexico and includes parts of Cochise, Maricopa, Pima, Pinal, Santa Cruz and Yuma counties. Parts of the Phoenix and Tucson areas are in the district.