Arizona special election: Who is Democrat Adelita Grijalva; wins seat, becomes first Latina in Congress

Democrat Adelita Grijalva has won the special election to fill the southern Arizona congressional seat left vacant after the death of her father, longtime US Representative Raúl Grijalva . She defeated Republican candidate Daniel Butierez in the 7th Congressional District, which spans almost the entire length of Arizona’s border with Mexico. Early results showed her receiving more than twice the votes of her opponent.

The victory makes Grijalva the first Latina to represent Arizona in Congress. “Now, let’s get to work,” she wrote on social media late Tuesday, thanking voters and saying they had made history together.

Grijalva, who retired from the Pima County Board of Supervisors earlier this year, entered the race shortly after her father’s death in March. She described him as her inspiration and a unifying figure for environmentalists, reproductive and immigrant rights advocates, and LGBTQ+ organizers. “Fifty years later, that movement is alive and well in all of us,” she said. “This victory belongs to the people — el pueblo.”

Butierez, who owns a painting company and previously ran against Raúl Grijalva in 2024, said he was puzzled by the results but not upset. He campaigned on border security and addressing homelessness, an issue he has experienced personally.

Democrats hold a nearly 2-to-1 voter registration advantage in the mostly Hispanic district, which has been represented by Democrats since Arizona gained statehood in 1912. Friends and family of Adelita Grijalva gathered at a Tucson events center on Tuesday night, celebrating with music, food, and speeches in both English and Spanish.

In her remarks, Grijalva pledged to focus on environmental justice, health care, and curbing presidential authority over tariffs. “There’s an opportunity for us to try to convince people that who they need to represent is the people that elected them and their community and not billionaires and corporations,” she told reporters.

Her election strengthens Democrats’ position in the US House. The Democratic National Committee said her victory improves their chances of forcing a vote to make the Justice Department release case files from the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking investigation. Grijalva pledged to sign the petition to push the measure forward.