Latest news with #ArizonaPolitics
CNN
16-07-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Adelita Grijalva wins Democratic primary to replace her father in US House, CNN projects
Adelita Grijalva will win the special Democratic primary in Arizona's 7th congressional district, CNN projects. Grijalva, a former county supervisor, is the daughter of the late Democratic Rep. Raul Grijalva, who represented the district for two decades before his death in March. She'll be favored to win the Sept. 23 general election in this heavily Democratic district. Grijalva defeated state Rep. Daniel Hernandez and 25-year-old activist Deja Foxx. Arizona's 7th Congressional District, which includes parts of Tucson and most of the state's southern border with Mexico, has been without representation since March, when Raul Grijalva died due to complications from cancer treatments. The late congressman and former Congressional Progressive Caucus chairman was first elected to the House in 2002. Adelita Grijalva entered the race as the front-runner and garnered the lion's share of endorsements in the contest, including support from both of Arizona's US senators as well as Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. She also benefited from her family's longstanding recognition in the district, saying she would continue her father's legacy. Like her father, Grijalva served on the Tucson Unified School District governing board and the Pima County Board of Supervisors before running for Congress. She pushed back on her opponents' efforts to frame her as the establishment candidate, saying that she applied for and earned her endorsements from various groups and has her own record of advocacy work, including running diversion programs while working at Pima County's Teen Court.
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump's big bill made it easy for Arizona congressmen to stick it to voters
Here's how we absolutely, positively know that Arizona Republican U.S. Reps. Andy Biggs, David Schweikert, Eli Crane, Paul Gosar, Abe Hamadeh and Juan Ciscomani sold out every person who voted for them and betrayed rural counties when they supported Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act: It is because the worst elements of the legislation — and there are a lot — won't kick into until after the 2026 midterms. Trump's toadies from Arizona were more than happy to shrivel under the thumb of Dear Leader and vote for the bill, knowing that he had provided them cover until after their next reelection campaigns. The billionaires will get their tax breaks right way, but the big pain to states like Arizona won't happen until after November 2026. Of course, by then the congressmembers who supported the bill will expect to have been reelected and can start laying out promises (that they won't keep) for 2028. In the meantime, Arizona will be one of the three hardest hit states when the $1 trillion in cuts to Medicaid start taking effect. That's because Arizona is one of the few states with a so-called 'trigger law.' In our case, the state would automatically repeal our Medicaid expansion program if federal funding drops below 80%. According to KFF, formerly known as the Kaiser Family Foundation, more than 2.1 million people are enrolled in the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, or AHCCCS. That includes 754,600 children, 194,040 seniors and 172,480 people with disabilities. Under Trump's bill (approved by Republicans only) hundreds of thousands of those Arizonans could lose health care coverage. Seniors. Children. People with life-threatening conditions. Apparently, our GOP representatives in Washington are much more interested in saving their professional lives than in saving the actual lives of Arizonans. Their fealty is to Trump and Trump only. Opinion: Trump shows charity to none, malice to all And because Trump wanted to make sure that the wealthiest 1% got their massive tax cuts, our representatives wanted to make sure that the wealthiest 1% got their massive tax cuts — a total $117 billion in 2026 alone. After all, whom do you think finances political campaigns? Among other things, the massive Medicaid cuts are expected to cause numerous rural health care facilities around the country to close. That means even people with health care will have nowhere to get help. Democratic U.S. Rep. Greg Stanton said of his Republican colleagues, 'They're going to regret this vote. Not just politically, but on a moral level.' I doubt that. The Trump toadies are covered, politically, until after the next election. And to regret what they did on a 'moral level' they would need to have … well, morals. Reach Montini at Like this column? Get more opinions in your email inbox by signing up for our free opinions newsletter, which publishes Monday through Friday. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Big beautiful bill destroys Arizona Medicaid. GOP won't pay | Opinion
Associated Press
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Deep-blue Arizona congressional district is up for grabs. Who will fill Raúl Grijalva's shoes?
PHOENIX (AP) — For over two decades, much of southern Arizona was represented in Congress by Democratic Rep. Raúl Grijalva, a champion of environmental, immigrant and Native American causes who cast a large shadow in progressive politics. He staked out principled but often futile positions, led an influential bloc of progressive elected officials and breezed past Republican challengers in a career that ended with his death in March at age 77. His daughter is now among a handful of Democrats seeking to fill his shoes in the 7th Congressional District, while a trio of Republicans is vying for the GOP bid in the July 15 primary. Whoever wins will face off in the Sept. 23 general election. Six of Arizona's nine U.S. House members are Republican. But the 7th District is a Democratic stronghold, so much so that national Republicans don't talk about picking it up, said pollster Mike O'Neil. It stretches across most of the state's border with Mexico and includes parts of Tucson and nearby counties. Still, the GOP candidates are holding out hope for change for the first time in 22 years. Here's a look at the candidates: A handful of Democratic hopefuls Adelita Grijalva, who served on local governing boards, is regarded as the frontrunner. The Democratic candidates also include former state lawmaker Daniel Hernandez, who is credited with helping save then-U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' life when she was shot outside a Tucson grocery store in 2011. Digital strategist and reproductive rights advocate Deja Foxx, Indigenous activist and scholar Jose Malvido Jr. and retired health care executive Patrick Harris Sr. round out the field. All but one of the Democrats — Hernandez — said they oppose a massive copper mining project in the district that environmentalists and Native American tribes say will decimate the landscape and destroy sacred sites. Hernandez said environmental protection and job creation can happen simultaneously. The Democrats' policy stances otherwise are similar in denouncing President Donald Trump's immigration crackdowns as cruel. Cuts to Medicaid and Medicare will hurt residents and rural hospitals, they say. Adelita Grijalva, whose values she says align with her father's, pushed back against notions she's an establishment candidate. 'In more than two decades of public service to Arizona, I have a record of my own,' Grijalva said. Hernandez, a former congressional candidate in a neighboring district, touted his advocacy for gun violence survivors and transgender rights. He said he's not worried about the GOP flipping the 7th District because of its working class and Latino electorate. Foxx, who at 25 is the youngest Democratic candidate, has shared that her life story includes government housing, subsidized health care and food assistance while being raised by a single mother in Tucson. She led influencer strategy for Kamala Harris' 2020 presidential campaign. 'You can expect me to be outspoken, to be an obstructionist to Donald Trump' if elected, she said. Malvido has spoken out against the killings of Palestinians in the Israel-Hamas war, believes the United States needs to preserve the separation of powers and wants to reconnect with working class voters. Patrick Harris has proposed setting a national wealth threshold of $1 billion and taxing the excess if it's not reinvested or donated within a year to keep the American dream within reach. Trio of Latinos vie for GOP nod The Republicans in the running generally favor Trump's immigration crackdown, though painting company owner Daniel Butierez objected to enforcement around schools and churches. Off-road vehicle businessman Jimmy Rodriguez says he's open to immigrants filling jobs in the farming and construction industries, as long as they're not convicted criminals. Butierez and restaurant owner Jorge Rivas support Trump's bill of tax breaks and funding cuts but share concerns with Democrats about losing health care funding. Butierez's path to political life has been unconventional. He was imprisoned in a drug case but was found to have been wrongly convicted. He credited religion for turning his life around and said his experiences in life and his business sense make him suited to serve in Congress. 'I believe there's going to be a shift,' said Butierez, who captured 36% of the vote in the 2024 election against Raúl Grijalva. 'I actually believe it's going to be a complete upset.' Rivas immigrated to the United States when his native El Salvador was embroiled in a civil war in the 1980s. He started serving meals from a food wagon and now operates a Mexican restaurant as a U.S. citizen. He said his success came from hard work and a little luck. 'I know how bad things can get when you don't have the right people in power,' he said. Rodriguez, who ran for Congress in Vermont in 2020, said he was inspired to seek public office after enduring hardships following the loss of his 19-year-old son who was hit while photographing an off-road race in Nevada. Three years later, he pleaded guilty to making a false statement to a government agency and was sentenced to five years of probation in Arizona. He said he's owned the mistake and is making amends. 'I really want to be the representative that I needed back when I went through all this with my son, and I think I'm capable,' he said.
New York Times
03-07-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
After Mamdani Mania, the Next Democratic Test Comes to Tucson
Beatrice Torres is tired of voting for Grijalvas. Year after year, Ms. Torres, 70, dutifully volunteered and cast her ballot for Representative Raúl M. Grijalva, a staunch Arizona progressive who was battling lung cancer when he was elected to his 12th term in November. He succumbed in March, the second of three House Democrats to die this year, bolstering the Republicans' oh-so-slender majority. Now, Mr. Grijalva's oldest daughter, Adelita, has been asking Ms. Torres to vote for her in the Democratic primary on July 15, another Grijalva to take up her father's seat. Several challengers are trying to block her, saying that Arizona needs a fresh voice and new ideas, not another Grijalva. And Ms. Torres agrees. 'Nobody is listening,' Ms. Torres said, clearly frustrated one scorching morning last week as she sat in her living room on Tucson's working-class south side, shades drawn against the sun. Ms. Grijalva is still likely to prevail in the heavily Democratic district — dozens of powerful Democrats have endorsed her, including the state's two Democratic senators. But with two weeks to go, the special election in Arizona's Seventh District is brewing into the next contest to question what the Democratic Party wants after its defeats of 2024 — experience versus generational change, left versus center, old versus new. And beneath it all is simmering anger over the reluctance of former President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and other aging, ailing Democrats, like Mr. Grijalva, who died at 77, to leave office when their time had come. 'We need change,' Ms. Torres said. Ms. Grijalva, 54, is a longtime elected official in Tucson, but to some frustrated voters, she is also the embodiment of their sclerotic party. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
2026 Election: Here's who's running for governor in Arizona
PHOENIX - 2026's election season may seem far away, but some have already started to lay the groundwork for a gubernatorial run, in what could be a tight race. Here's what to know. Arizona is required to hold a gubernatorial election in 2026, due to the state's constitution. Dig deeper Under Arizona's constitution, the state's executive offices, including the Governor, the Secretary of State, the Attorney General, and the Superintendent of Public Instruction, serve four-year terms beginning in January 1971, following the regular general election that happened months prior, in 1970. Katie Hobbs has been the state's governor since 2023. She took office after she won the November 2022 election against her Republican opponent, Kari Lake. What's next As a result of Proposition 131, which was approved by voters in 2022, a gubernatorial candidate will select a running mate as lieutenant governor, and the two will be elected on a joint ticket. Prior to the passage of Proposition 131, Arizona's Secretary of State would have succeeded as governor in the event of a governor's death, incapacitation, or removal from office. A number of candidates have expressed their intent to run for the state's top office. What we know Per the Arizona Secretary of State's website, as of June 3, 2025, there are 15 people who have filed Statements of Interest to run for governor. They include: Saint Omer "Captain" Kakou Lisa Castillo Risa Lombardo William Pounds IV Barry Hess Christopher Ames Andy Biggs Isiah Gallegos Christian "Maverick" Grey Robert McVeigh Donald Mucheck Scott Neely George Nicholson Karrin Taylor Robson Alan White It is important to note that, according to the Secretary of State's Office, filing a Statement of Interest only indicates a person is collecting petition signatures for a possible nomination. It is not a formal candidacy declaration because it requires the filing of a nomination paper. A number of politicians have announced their decision to not run for governor, and that includes Kari Lake, who last ran for governor in 2022. According to a report by Iowa-based newspaper Des Moines Register, a spokesperson for Lake confirmed that she is not running for office, amid speculation she will run Iowa's governor seat. Another person previously deemed as a potential gubernatorial candidate is Adrian Fontes. According to a Washington Post article in December 2024, Fontes previously considered challenging Hobbs in the primary, but he has opted to run for re-election as Secretary of State instead. What we know Hobbs has yet to make any official announcements on whether she will run for a second term. However, she is eligible for re-election under Arizona's constitution. Local perspective On April 22, 2025, Fox News reported that President Donald Trump has endorsed both Karrin Taylor Robson and Andy Biggs' respective campaigns for governor. In a post on TruthSocial, President Trump called both Taylor Robson and Biggs "fantastic candidates" and "terrific people." "Either one will never let you down," Trump wrote. On his social media page, Biggs said he has also received the endorsement of Charlie Kirk. A 2021 article by the Associated Press describes Kirk as a "conservative provocateur" and the leader of the group Turning Point USA. The Primary According to figures from a poll conducted from May 12 to May 16, 2025, by Noble Predictive Insights, 24% of those surveyed support Taylor Robson in a four-way hypothetical primary that includes Biggs, Kirk, and incumbent State Treasurer Kimberly Yee. In that same poll, Biggs had 17% support, while 37% of those surveyed say they are not sure as to who they will support. As noted above, Kirk has endorsed Biggs' campaign. Meanwhile, Yee has opted to run instead for the GOP's nomination as Superintendent of Public Instruction. Officials with Noble Predictive Insights said due to Biggs' and Kirk's "shared ideological profile and overlapping favorability ratings among GOP voters," it is likely that some who support Kirk will rally around Biggs, going on to say that it is possible for Biggs to displace Taylor Robson and become the new front runner in the primary. The poll's margin of error is +/- 4.76%, involving a sample of 1,026 registered Arizona voters. The General Election Figures from the same Noble Predictive Insights poll show a tight race for Gov. Hobbs, with the incumbent Governor polling at 41% against Taylor Robson's 39%, and polling at 40% against Biggs, who was at 38%. In both hypothetical match-ups, 17% of those surveyed said they are unsure as to who they will support. This poll's margin of error is +/- 3.06%, involving a sample of 1,026 registered Arizona voters.
