The race is on to fill the seat of Arizona’s longest-serving congressman, Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), after his death left a vacancy in the solidly Democratic district.
Grijalva hailed from Arizona’s 7th Congressional District, which sits along the state’s border with Mexico and includes some Western suburbs of Tucson, Yuma, and many rural border communities. He died at age 77 after a battle with cancer, his office announced Thursday.
AZ-07 is a solid blue district. Grijalva most recently won his seat with 63.5% of the vote in the 2024 election. He announced last year that he would not seek reelection.
Per state law, Gov. Katie Hobbs (D-AZ) must call a special election for AZ-07 within 72 hours of a member’s death. The special primary election must be held between 120 and 133 days after the vacancy, and the special general election must be held within 70 to 80 days after the primary.
The earliest possible date for the primary election is mid-July, while the general election is slated for late September to early October. Grijalva’s seat will remain vacant until a replacement is selected in the special election.
As of Friday, no candidate has announced they will run for the seat. A competitive primary on the Democratic side is expected. Possible contenders to fill the seat include Tucson Mayor Regina Romero, one of Grijalva’s longtime allies, and his daughter Adelita Grijalva, a Pima County Board of Supervisors member.
Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, a Democrat, is expected to make an announcement later Friday. Fontes, who was raised in Nogales, a large border town in the district, had reportedly considered challenging Hobbs in the 2026 Democratic primary but has since ruled it out.
REP. RAUL GRIJALVA DIES AT 77 AFTER CANCER BATTLE
His death raised the number of vacancies in the House to five. Three Republican representatives were tapped to serve in the Trump administration, and another House Democrat, Texan Rep. Sylvester Turner, died unexpectedly earlier this month. In the past 11 months, five House Democrats have died while in office.
Govs. Greg Abbott (R-TX) and Kathy Hochul (D-NY) have yet to call special elections for the vacant seats in their states. Special elections to replace former House Republicans Matt Gaetz and Mike Waltz will be held in Florida in April.