Adelita Grijalva won the Democratic nomination this week for Arizona’s 7th Congressional District in a decisive victory that underscored the continued power of progressive politics—both through longstanding community roots and rising digital voices. Grijalva, 54, the daughter of the late Representative Raúl Grijalva, secured 62 percent of the vote, handily defeating four challengers, including 25-year-old activist and digital strategist Deja Foxx, who earned nearly 21 percent.
The seat was left vacant following the death of Rep. Raúl Grijalva in March due to complications from lung cancer. The elder Grijalva was a progressive stalwart and a founding member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. His daughter’s candidacy was widely seen as a continuation of his political legacy in Southern Arizona.
“This is a victory not for me, but for our community and the progressive movement my dad started in Southern Arizona more than 50 years ago,” Adelita Grijalva said in a statement on Tuesday night.
The win makes Grijalva the overwhelming favorite in the September special election to represent the heavily Democratic district, which includes parts of Tucson and stretches to the U.S.-Mexico border. If elected, she would become the first Latina to represent Arizona in Congress.
Both Grijalva and Foxx ran on progressive platforms, focusing on issues such as defending Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security, strengthening labor rights, and reducing housing costs. The race, therefore, was not one of ideology but of generation, style, and political experience.
Grijalva, who served on the Tucson Unified School District Governing Board and the Pima County Board of Supervisors, campaigned on a promise to build upon her father’s legacy through established relationships, years of public service, and community-rooted advocacy. She received endorsements from major progressive figures and organizations, including Sen. Bernie Sanders, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC, National Nurses United, the Working Families Party, and both of Arizona’s Democratic senators.
“We know that Adelita is going to be a fearless fighter for working families in her district,” said Maurice Mitchell, national director of the Working Families Party. “Adelita’s victory tonight isn’t just a win for families in Southern Arizona. It’s a win for all those who believe in a government that works for everyday people.”
Foxx, a well-known Gen Z activist and former Planned Parenthood organizer, gained national attention for confronting then-Senator Jeff Flake during a 2017 town hall and later served as the youngest-ever campaign strategist on Kamala Harris’s 2020 presidential campaign. Her primary campaign was closely watched as a test of whether a digital-native candidate could parlay online organizing power into electoral victory.
Foxx’s social media presence, combined with a small-dollar donor strategy, helped her exceed the expectations of many Democratic strategists. Her campaign reported more than 30 million views across social platforms in the final month, over 18,000 unique donors, and nearly $600,000 raised, much of it from first-time contributors. She was endorsed by David Hogg’s youth-oriented PAC, Leaders We Deserve, and experimented with new progressive media outlets including Meidas Touch and Under the Desk News. Her campaign also partnered with Courier Newsroom for a long-form docuseries capturing her campaign.
Still, it was not enough to overcome the advantages of a well-known political name, deep community ties, and broad institutional support.
The comparison to Zohran Mamdani’s surprise win in New York’s Democratic mayoral primary earlier this year led some to believe Foxx could engineer a similar upset. But the dynamics of the Arizona race proved different. While Mamdani ran against a deeply entrenched establishment candidate, Grijalva herself was backed by many of the same progressive leaders and organizations who supported Mamdani.
The New York Times faced criticism for its framing of the race, suggesting Foxx “tried to recreate the youthful magic” of Mamdani’s campaign and calling Grijalva’s win a blow to progressive momentum. The Times’ description was met with backlash from progressive commentators who pointed out that both candidates in the race embraced left-leaning platforms.
“This is where superficial generational discourse gets you,” writer Adam Johnson said on social media. “An AOC and Bernie-endorsed candidate wins and it’s somehow an indictment on Mamdani—who didn’t endorse anyone and has nothing to do with the race.”
Ultimately, Grijalva’s win reflects the continued strength and breadth of the progressive movement—capable of encompassing both veteran advocates and rising young voices. While Foxx’s campaign didn’t result in victory, it revealed the potential of digital organizing and influencer-led political strategy, especially among younger voters.
As progressives look toward 2026 and beyond, the Arizona primary suggests the movement’s future may not lie in generational replacement but in coalition-building across generations. Grijalva’s success, combined with Foxx’s grassroots energy, points to a progressive infrastructure capable of sustaining both legacy leadership and emerging digital power.
“This is a victory not for me, but for our community and the progressive movement my dad started in Southern Arizona more than 50 years ago,” Adelita Grijalva said.
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