TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Early voting kicked off in Pima County this week.
Many are receiving their ballots for the July 15 Arizona Congressional District 7 (CD7) Special Primary Election.
There are eight candidates running for Congressional District 7 after the passing of Congressman Raúl Grijalva.
One of those candidates is his daughter Adelita Grijalva, former member of the Pima County Board of Supervisors, who believes she can continue his legacy.
Senator Mark Kelly and the organization Reproductive Freedom for All rallied supporters at the El Rio Neighborhood Center Saturday afternoon to canvass for Adelita.
“My dad started a movement. There were a lot of people that were here today that got their start because my dad advocated and encouraged other people to get involved, and we have better representation in our local government," Adelita said. "And, so, one of the reasons I'm running for Congress is to make sure that Southern Arizona has a voice for the issues that we all believe in — and they elected a proud progressive for 22 years, and, so I'm hoping this community is willing to send me to Congress because I would be honored."
Over 200 people came out to and expressed why they stand behind her.
"I believe that she represents a lot of the values that this community embraces and fights for," said Javier Duran.
Stephanie Stahl Hamilton, Arizona State Representative for District 21 was in attendance and said Raúl taught Adelita many things.
“She learned the lessons he left. She learned them and has embraced them and made them her own and you know, she’s a public servant of my generation," Rep. Hamilton said.
Many volunteers helped organize the canvassing effort, including Carlos Madrid with Youth for Adelita, a program that encourages teens to get their voice heard.
“I think specifically with the Trump Administration, they’ve kinda tried to take away a lot of education, and our thing is educating others about why it’s so important to vote," Madrid said.
Also running for the seat in the Democratic Party are Deja Foxx, Patrick Harris Sr., Daniel Hernandez, and Jose Malvido Jr.
On the Republican side, it’s Daniel Butierez, Jorge Rivas, and Jimmy Rodriguez.
KGUN 9 covered the Democrat and Republican debates which featured the three Republican candidates and the five Democratic candidates.
The last day to request a ballot by mail is July 7, and the mail-back early ballot deadline is July 8. The last day to vote early in-person is July 11 — and the Arizona CD7 Special Primary Election will be held on July 15.
The candidate who wins will serve as the Rep. for Congressional District 7, and will be in office until Jan. 2027. CD7 covers six counties including: Cochise, Maricopa, Pima, Pinal, Santa Cruz, and Yuma counties.
To learn more about where to vote in-person and the rules of early voting, check out our previous coverage.
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Vanessa Gongora is KGUN 9's Westside reporter.. Vanessa fell in love with storytelling by growing up in sports. She was fascinated by how sports reporters go beyond the x's & o's to tell players' stories, and how sports bring people together, inspiring Vanessa to provide the same impact as a journalist. Share your story ideas and important issues with Vanessa by emailing vanessa.gongora@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram, and X.
