Democrat Adelita Grijalva won Tuesday’s special election to represent Arizona’s 7th Congressional seat, succeeding her father, the late Rep. Raul Grijalva, as the seat’s next member of Congress.
The Associated Press called the race for Adelita Grijalva at 11:08 p.m. Eastern, over an hour after the polls closed. She defeated Republican Daniel Butierez, 70.6% to 27.7%, at the time the race was called.
Adelita Grijalva won a competitive Democratic primary earlier this year, earning endorsements from both Arizona Sens. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ), as well as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT).
She will succeed her father, who died in March at the age of 77 due to cancer treatment complications. Adelita Grijalva, who shares many of the same policy positions as the late congressman, will finish out his term until the 2026 midterms.
Her situation is similar to that of former Democratic Rep. Erica Lee Carter (D-TX), who finished out the term of her late mother, longtime Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee. Carter (D-TX) opted not to seek a second term, with the late Rep. Sylvester Turner succeeding her. His death in March (just eight days before Raul Grijalva) opened the door for a competitive race, which is scheduled for Nov. 4.
With Adelita Grijalva’s win, the House margins will remain at a two-seat majority. However, her addition to the House Democratic Caucus provides the final signature needed for the bipartisan discharge petition regarding the Jeffrey Epstein files.
The congresswoman-elect confirmed to the Washington Examiner earlier this month that she would sign the petition authored by Reps. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Ro Khanna (D-CA) if she won.
FLUKE OR FORESHADOWING? WHAT DEMOCRATS’ SPECIAL ELECTION WINS MEAN FOR 2026
“This special election is our first chance to deliver Trump and the MAGA agenda a defeat at the ballot box,” Adelita Grijalva told the Washington Examiner ahead of her special election win. “We are running through the finish line, not taking a single vote for granted.”
If a Democrat wins Turner’s seat, which is likely given its D+21 rating, the House margins will slip to a one-vote GOP majority. But a Republican victory in the December special election to replace former Rep. Mark Green, also likely given the voting population, will bump the majority back up to two seats in time for the start of the midterm year.