Adelita Grijalva Announces Candidacy for Arizona’s Seventh Congressional District

Tucson, AZ– Adelita Grijalva, a lifelong Southern Arizonan, public education and environmental advocate, and mother of three announced her candidacy for Arizona’s 7th Congressional District, the seat vacated by the passing of her father Congressman Raúl M. Grijalva. She released the following statement:

“I am running for Congress because Southern Arizona deserves bold leadership that will fight for working families and stand up to Donald Trump.

“Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and their gang of billionaires are destroying our nation. They’re destroying our schools. They’re attacking our most sacred rights. They’re poisoning our environment. But together, we will stop them. This fight starts right here, right now, in southern Arizona.

“I've spent my life as an advocate, fighting for the brighter future we all deserve - from 20 years on the Tucson Unified School District Governing Board where I strengthened public education for all children, to the Pima County Board of Supervisors where I spearheaded investments in affordable housing and childcare, and protected our beautiful Sonoran desert. In Congress, I will work to create opportunities to help all our families achieve their American Dream - no matter who you are, where you come from, or where you live.” said Adelita Grijalva.”

Later on Monday, Grijalva will submit a letter to resign from her seat on the Pima County Board of Supervisors, effective Friday, April 4th. 

Her campaign is chaired by Tucson Mayor Regina Romero.

“Adelita Grijalva is a results-driven leader who fights for good jobs, our children and our environment. She believes that strong public schools and strong unions are important for hard-working families trying to make ends meet. Most importantly, she has the backbone to stand up for all of us against the Trump agenda. She is the leader to meet this moment, which is why I wholeheartedly endorse her campaign to keep a progressive champion in Congress to represent Southern Arizona,” shared Mayor Romero, her campaign chair. 

You can view Adelita’s announcement video on Twitter here and download it here. Her campaign headshot is available for download here. Her website is www.AdelitaforCongress.com. Eligible voters can sign her nominating petition online here.

Adelita has been endorsed by the following current and former elected officials (more to be announced): 

• Tucson Mayor Regina Romero

• Tucson City Councilmember Lane Santa Cruz

• Tucson City Councilmember Paul Cunningham

• Tucson City Councilmember Kevin Dahl

• Pima County Supervisor Jen Allen

• Pima County Supervisor Rex Scott

• Maricopa County Supervisor Steve Gallardo

• Santa Cruz County Supervisor Rudy Molera

• Pima County Recorder Gabriela Cazeres-Kelly

• Pima County Attorney Laura Conover

• Pima County Assessor Suzanne Droubie

• Former Pima County Supervisor Dan Eckstrom

• State Senate Minority Leader Priya Sundareshan 

• State Senator Rosanna Gabaldón

• State Representative Mariana Sandoval

• State Representative Betty Villegas

• State Representative Stephanie Stahl Hamilton

• State Representative Nancy Gutierrez

• State Representative Chris  Mathis

• TUSD School Board Member Natalie Luna Rose

• TUSD School Board Member Jennifer Eckstrom

• TUSD School Board Member Ravi Grivois- Shah

• SUSD School Board Member Beki Quintero

• SUSD School Board Member Robert Jaramillo

Read Adelita’s full bio below:

Adelita Grijalva is a lifelong public servant, advocate, and resident of Southern Arizona. She grew up with her two sisters on the south side of Tucson, graduating from Pueblo High School. She went on to earn a degree in Political Science from the University of Arizona. 

Beyond her career in elected office, Adelita has had a long history of public service. Prior to being elected to the Pima County Board of Supervisors, Adelita worked at Pima County Teen Court for more than 25 years, where she helped court-involved youth and their families through a restorative juvenile diversion program. A strong believer in the power of public-private partnerships to drive positive change, Adelita currently serves on the boards of several community organizations, where she continues to advocate for equity, collaboration, and opportunity.

Adelita was first elected to public office in 2002, when she was elected to the Tucson Unified School District (TUSD) Governing Board, the largest school-district in Tucson and the second-largest district in Arizona. There, she led the successful effort to significantly expand pre-school availability at TUSD schools, fiercely defended Mexican-American Studies and bilingual curriculum from attacks by the Arizona State Legislature, and advocated for investments in public schools in historically overlooked communities.

Most recently, Adelita Grijalva served on the Pima County Board of Supervisors, representing District 5. She was first elected to the Pima County Board of Supervisors in 2020, becoming the first Latina, and only the second woman, to serve as Chair. She was re-elected by the voters in 2024, earning more than 73% of the vote.  During her time as a Pima County Supervisor, Adelita developed a reputation for bringing people together to address the biggest issues facing Southern Arizona including affordable housing, environmental protection and climate resiliency, and healthy and safe communities. Among her key accomplishments as a Supervisor were starting the county’s first free preschool program for low-income families, championing historic investments in affordable housing, and protecting open spaces to ensure that future generations can continue to enjoy the beautiful Sonoran Desert.

Adelita lives in Tucson with her husband Sol and is a mother of three children, Adelina, Raúl and Joaquín. She is the proud daughter of Congressman Raúl Grijalva.