The Winner

Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ) will represent Arizona’s 7th Congressional District for a full two-year term after beating Republican Daniel Butierez Sr. again. The Associated Press called the race for Grijalva shortly after polls closed on Tuesday, Nov. 3, KTAR reported. ​

Grijalva has 142,362 votes (71.9%) to Butierez’s 55,428 (28.0%), a margin of about 44 points, according to unofficial results from the Arizona Secretary of State updated early Sunday, Nov. 8. That beats her 68.9% against Butierez in last year’s special election and her father’s 63.4% against him in 2024.

The Race

Grijalva won the seat in a Sept. 23, 2025, special election after her father, the late Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D), died that March. She was sworn in 50 days later, and this is her first full term, Arizona Public Media reported. Butierez, a Tucson contractor, was making his third straight run as the Republican nominee.

Both candidates were unopposed in the Tuesday, July 21 primaries. Cook Political Report and Inside Elections rated the race Solid Democratic, and Sabato’s Crystal Ball rated it Safe Democratic, according to Ballotpedia’s race page.

The district is anchored in Tucson and Pima County and stretches across southern Arizona to San Luis, Somerton, Nogales, Bisbee and Douglas, plus Avondale and Tolleson near Phoenix, according to Grijalva’s office. It covers parts of Cochise, Maricopa, Pinal, Santa Cruz and Yuma counties. Its southern edge follows more than 350 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border, longer than any other district except Texas’ 23rd.

About 808,200 people live in the district, and about 60% of residents are Hispanic. The median age is about 34, and the typical household earns about $59,800 a year. About 22% of adults hold at least a bachelor’s degree, unemployment is about 6.6%, and about 19% of residents live below the poverty line.

What’s Next

Grijalva’s new term begins Sunday, Jan. 3, 2027. Arizona’s official statewide canvass, the step that makes the results final, is due Monday, Nov. 23.

After her win, Grijalva told KGUN that one of her top priorities will be restoring federal food assistance and Medicaid benefits for Arizonans. She said the state was among the hardest hit by recent cuts to those programs.

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