2026 Arizona's 7th Congressional District Election
Compare candidates’ positions, polling, and sourced race updates.
About this race
The November 3, 2026 general election for Arizona's 7th Congressional District pits Democratic incumbent Adelita Grijalva against Republican Daniel Francis Butierez Sr. in a rematch of the September 23, 2025 special election, which Grijalva won with roughly 69% of the vote to succeed her late father, longtime Rep. Raúl Grijalva.
The border-spanning district, stretching from Yuma and San Luis through Tucson, Nogales, and Douglas and into parts of metro Phoenix, is a safely Democratic seat (Cook PVI D+13) rated Solid or Safe Democratic by all major handicappers. In an August 26, 2026 Citizens Clean Elections Commission debate, the two clashed most sharply over immigration enforcement — Grijalva called for abolishing ICE while Butierez backed reform — along with healthcare and Medicaid funding and Arizona's Colorado River water allotment.
Grijalva holds a roughly 10-to-1 fundraising advantage, taking in about $2.3 million versus Butierez's $224,000 through July 1, 2026, and Butierez is running for the third consecutive cycle against a Grijalva after losing to Adelita in 2025 and Raúl in 2024.
Candidates
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Adelita Grijalva is a Democratic U.S. Representative for Arizona's 7th Congressional District, sworn in November 12, 2025 after winning a September 2025 special election to succeed her late father, Rep. Raúl Grijalva; she is the first Latina to represent Arizona in Congress. She previously served on the Pima County Board of Supervisors (2021–2025) and the Tucson Unified School District Governing Board (2002–2022), and spent 25 years as director of the Pima County Teen Court juvenile diversion program. Her campaign emphasizes education access, economic opportunity, environmental policy, and protecting working families.
Daniel Butierez Sr. is a Republican small-business owner and third-generation Arizonan who has been the GOP nominee for Arizona's 7th Congressional District in the 2024, 2025 special, and 2026 elections. A Tucson native who runs Butierez Painting, he served prison time in the 1990s for a conviction the state later acknowledged was for a crime he did not commit; the conviction was voided in 2020, and he speaks openly about his past incarceration, homelessness, and recovery from addiction. His campaign emphasizes securing the southern border, keeping ICE intact, cutting taxes for small businesses, and promoting responsible mining and economic development in Southern Arizona.
Forecast
Adelita Grijalva favored
Adelita Grijalva: 97% modeled win probability with a +28.0 pts estimated margin
Polling
1 poll, newest firstAbout this research
Data compiled from public sources and analyzed using AI. Last updated October 8, 2026. Visit candidate websites for the most current information.