On Tuesday, a special election was held in Arizona’s 7th Congressional District, which has important implications for the balance of power in the House of Representatives. The result narrowed the Republicans’ slim majority and is expected to influence the crucial vote on whether to release the Jeffrey Epstein files.
Democrat Adelita Grijalva won the election, defeating Republican Daniel Butierez with 70.6% of the vote to his 27.6%. This result comes with about 80% of the votes counted, according to projections by the Associated Press.
The district is a stronghold for Democrats and was voting to fill the seat left vacant by the late Rep. Raúl Grijalva. Raúl, who served for 22 years in Congress, passed away in March at the age of 77 due to complications related to cancer treatment. Adelita Grijalva is his daughter and now takes over the role.
Tuesday’s election is expected to provide the crucial vote needed to push forward a motion that would require the Department of Justice to release all records related to Jeffrey Epstein. This bipartisan effort comes from Republican Representative Thomas Massie and Democratic Representative Ro Khanna, who introduced the discharge petition.
Earlier this month, after Democrat Representative James Walkinshaw won his special election in Virginia, he was sworn in and added his support to the petition. This brought the total to 217 signatures, just one shy of the 218 needed to force a vote.
Both Adelita Grijalva and Daniel Butierez told the Arizona Daily Star last week that they would sign the petition if elected.
Following Grijalva’s win on Tuesday, the Democratic National Committee confirmed her commitment to sign the petition. In a statement celebrating her victory, the DNC said that she pledged to support the petition, giving Democrats the crucial 218th vote and helping secure a bipartisan majority demanding accountability and transparency.
This election also has wider consequences for the balance of power in the House of Representatives. Once Grijalva takes office, Republicans will hold a slim majority with 219 seats, while Democrats will have 214.
In addition, some Republican-led states are responding to President Donald Trump’s call to gain more seats by redrawing their congressional districts. These new maps are designed to favor GOP candidates ahead of next year’s midterm elections.
Adelita Grijalva is a former Pima County Supervisor who aims to continue her father’s work on environmental justice and improving public education. She also plans to focus on protecting Medicaid.
“I’m not running because of my last name, it just happens to be my last name,” she told ABC News before the Democratic primary earlier this year. “My dad left big shoes to fill, but I stand on my own two feet with over twenty years of public service in Arizona. I’m proud to have the support of leaders and organizations driving the progressive movement.”
Grijalva will also make history as the first Latina to represent Arizona in Congress.
In the crowded Democratic primary, she faced a challenge from 25-year-old progressive activist Deja Foxx, who aimed to become the first Gen-Z woman in Congress. Grijalva won the primary by a wide margin, beating Foxx by more than 40 points. On the Republican side, Butierez secured the nomination with nearly 61% of the vote against two other candidates.
Butierez is a business owner who focused his campaign on reducing illegal immigration and drug trafficking in the area. In an interview with KGUN, he shared that he had once been homeless, imprisoned, and struggled with addiction. He said these personal experiences give him a unique understanding of his community’s challenges and help him bring a firsthand perspective to tackling these issues.
(This article is based on reporting by ABC News.)
