Progressive Adelita Grijalva Will Follow Her Father Into Congress

Grivalja held off a spirited challenge from 25-year-old Deja Foxx in a southern Arizona district.

Adelita Grijalva, a former local elected official, will follow in her father’s footsteps, representing a congressional district in southern Arizona after fending off a challenge built around generational change and winning the Democratic primary in a special election on Tuesday night.

Adelita Grijalva is the daughter of the late Rep. Raul Grijalva, a progressive icon whose death from cancer in March kicked off the special election in Arizona’s 7th District. She defeated Deja Foxx, a 25-year-old influencer and activist, and Daniel Hernandez, a 35-year-old former state lawmaker, with Foxx posing the stiffest challenge.

Grijalva had the backing of almost the entire Democratic political establishment, despite her father’s progressive track record and willingness to occasionally stick his thumb in the establishment’s eye. Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) endorsed her, as did Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.)

There were few ideological differences between Grijalva and Foxx, with both women supporting Medicare for All among a host of other progressive priorities. Instead, the two differed over how best to counter President Donald Trump, with Grijalva arguing for traditional coalition-building and Foxx focused on using media attention and bold actions to counter the president’s media dominance.

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