The Arizona special election to succeed the late Rep. Raúl Grijalva is amplifying the ethnic and generational divides embroiling the Democratic Party, as the candidate backed by political agitator David Hogg surges in the race’s final weeks.
Recognizing that threat, Hispanic Democrats are pushing to get Grijalva’s daughter — the party favorite — over the finish line just days before Tuesday’s primary in the deep-blue border district where 61 percent of residents are Hispanic.
Adelita Grijalva, the late Grijalva’s 54-year-old daughter, seemed poised to pick up his seat after clinching support from national Hispanic and progressive Democrats, Arizona lawmakers, the gun violence-focused Giffords PAC and Emily’s List.
Complicating her coronation is the late rise of Deja Foxx, a 25-year-old influencer who has the backing of Hogg’s PAC and the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus’ campaign arm. And a third candidate, 35-year-old former state Rep. Daniel Hernandez, is posting strong fundraising numbers for his bid.
These dynamics have turned the off-year Democratic primary into a microcosm of the larger feud roiling the party, as leaders look for a path forward following catastrophic losses in 2024 that unleashed debates on populism, diversity and the advanced age of many national lawmakers.
Foxx has jumped in recent polling, prompting Hispanic Democrats to fret about the prospect of losing representation in a district where they make up the majority. And Hogg's endorsement — underscored by $150,000 in spending from his group — is striking a particular nerve.
“Anyone who sees Arizona's 7th district as anything other than a fight for Latino representation in America is enabling all those who seek to disenfranchise our community and silence our voices,” BOLD PAC Chair, Rep. Linda Sánchez, said in a statement provided first to POLITICO. “BOLD PAC stands proudly with Adelita and won’t stop fighting until our communities are treated as essential, not expendable.”
The statement did not mention Hogg, but appeared to be alluding to the 25-year-old agitator’s involvement in the race. Hogg, who survived a 2018 school shooting, was recently ousted from his role as vice chair of the Democratic National Committee and has pledged to spend $20 million through 2026 to challenge incumbents across the country via his Leaders We Deserve PAC. In backing Foxx, he’s put himself on the opposing side of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who support Grijalva.
The Congressional Hispanic Caucus’ political arm donated $5,000 to Grijalva’s campaign but has yet to fund any advertising in the race.
Grijalva has embraced her progressive father’s legacy, with a voiceover in a recent ad declaring: “for 50 years, the Grijalvas have been building a movement right here in Southern Arizona.”
“As a mother and lifelong public servant in this community, I’ve lived the challenges our families face under Trump’s anti-Latino policies, and have spent my career standing up for immigrant rights,” Grijalva said in a statement. "I will bring the same fight and resistance to this anti-immigrant Administration."
Foxx, who would be one of two Filipino Americans in Congress if elected, has been calling out the party’s failure to stand up to President Donald Trump and is going after the late Grijalva for not resigning and thus making Republicans’ megabill easier to pass. She has also painted Adelita Grijalva as part of the “establishment.”
“Hundreds of thousands of people in my district, myself included, my friends, my family, my neighbors have been without a representative because of the passing,” Foxx said in a Tuesday interview. “At a time where this budget bill stands to impact so many of us, we have had nobody voting on our behalf, nobody fighting for us.”
Hogg and his PAC did not respond directly to BOLD PAC's statement, instead focusing on highlighting their endorsed candidate. Foxx, Hogg said in a statement, “brings unmatched clarity, conviction, and lived experience to some of the toughest challenges working families face.”
“She is equipped to fight back against Trump because he's attacking the very programs that she's relied on for her survival,” he added.
Foxx brushed aside concerns about Hispanic representation, saying the role “can look a lot of different ways” and citing her ties to the the district’s younger, working-class communities.
Hernandez and Grijalva are vowing to stand up to Trump. But like Foxx, Hernandez has painted Grijalva as an extension of the Democrats whom they view as somewhat acquiescent and has pointed to the support from national groups like BOLD PAC as evidence nothing will change.
“It's not surprising that the daughter of a congressman who was in Congress for over 20 years is getting the establishment endorsement,” Hernandez said in an interview on Tuesday.
With under a week before the election, Hernandez spent almost $479,000 on TV ads, to Foxx’s roughly $471,500 and Grijalva’s near $309,000, according to AdImpact, which tracks political advertising.
Outside spending has ramped up in the race as well. Some pro-Grijalva groups have also played in the race. The Working Families Party, which endorsed her in late May, spent just under $150,000, mostly on broadcast ads. Progressive Promise, the Congressional Progressive Caucus and the League of Conservation Voters have also bought ads in the area, per AdImpact.
There's been anti-Grijvalva spending as well, including nearly $100,000 from Tucson Families Fed Up PAC, a pro-Foxx group that has been funding mailers, digital ads and phone calls attacking Grijalva.
Nevertheless, Rep. Marilyn Strickland (D-Wash.), the chair of ASPIRE PAC, CAPAC’s political arm, praised Grijalva’s “very robust field organization.”
“She's getting out there, knocking on doors, inspiring people. She has what I call star power,” Strickland said, noting she would “completely understand the sentiment” from Hispanic Democrats who wanted to ensure the seat remained in a Hispanic candidate’s hands. But, she added, “when we have a candidate who belongs to our community we're going to vet them thoroughly and see if they can win.”
The Grijalva name is prominently and posthumously displayed on elementary schools and parks in the area.
Hernandez has hesitated to directly criticize the late member of Congress, even as he tries to differentiate himself in the primary. He refused to say, after being asked repeatedly during an interview, if Raúl Grijalva should have stepped down earlier — a tension point that has roiled the party after a string of deaths during the first few months of the new Congress with razor-thin margins.
Hernandez insisted his candidacy is about ushering in a new generation of leadership.
“Nobody is going to not stand up to Trump,” Hernandez said. “This is about old versus new.”
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