Daniel Butierez Sr. (R) – AZ-07 House 2026

About

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.

Biography sources 8

Positions on Key Issues

Positions of Daniel Butierez Sr. on key issues
Issue	Stance	Sources
Healthcare	In the Aug. 26, 2026 Arizona 7th Congressional District debate, Butierez said his daughter and son-in-law temporarily lost Medicaid coverage during a re-verification process while his son-in-law battled cancer, and he criticized a system in which restoring coverage depended on personal connections. In his iVoterGuide questionnaire, he said the stance closest to his view was that Medicaid and Medicare should remain available without necessarily precluding other taxpayer-funded programs, and that governments, schools, and employers should not be allowed to require vaccinations.	Adelita Grijalva and Daniel Butierez debate ICE, healthcare and water in CD7 - KTAR Recap of CD7 debate between Rep. Adelita Grijalva and Daniel Butierez Sr. - KYMA Daniel Francis Butierez Sr. — Arizona U.S. House District 7 General Election 2026 Candidate Profile (iVoterGuide)
Economy	Butierez says he would cut taxes and simplify the tax code for small businesses. He also supports promoting job growth and economic development through responsible mining practices in Southern Arizona.	Daniel Butierez for U.S. Congress — campaign homepage
Climate/Energy	In his iVoterGuide questionnaire, Butierez disagreed that man-made climate change is a global threat requiring urgent political action and identified solar as the most reliable energy source for growing electricity demand. In the Aug. 26, 2026 Clean Elections debate for Arizona's 7th Congressional District, he said new data centers should be required to build water-treatment facilities before construction to address the water demands of that energy-intensive industry.	Daniel Francis Butierez Sr. — Arizona U.S. House District 7 General Election 2026 Candidate Profile (iVoterGuide) Adelita Grijalva and Daniel Butierez debate ICE, healthcare and water in CD7 - KTAR
Abortion & Reproductive Health	Butierez describes himself as pro-life and says elective abortion should be allowed only in cases of rape, incest, or danger to the mother's life. He strongly opposes taxpayer funding for abortion providers and supports requiring safety standards and reporting for chemical-abortion drugs, while stating that the federal government should have no role in limiting abortion.	Daniel Francis Butierez Sr. — Arizona U.S. House District 7 General Election 2026 Candidate Profile
Immigration	Daniel Butierez Sr. supports retaining ICE as a law-enforcement agency and says concerns about its operation should be addressed by rewriting and improving the laws rather than abolishing the agency. He also supports additional border-wall construction and said he would support the bipartisan Dignity Act, which includes protections for some DACA recipients and a pathway to legal status for some undocumented immigrants.	Adelita Grijalva, Daniel Butierez debate ICE, water in CD7 race CD7 Republican candidate supports some election law changes being proposed by Trump
Firearms & Second Amendment	In his iVoterGuide questionnaire for the 2026 Arizona U.S. House District 7 general election, Butierez said that no restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety and that gun safety should instead be taught.	Daniel Francis Butierez Sr. - iVoterGuide
Foreign Policy	In his iVoterGuide questionnaire for the 2026 Arizona U.S. House District 7 general election, Butierez said the United States has become too involved in other countries' policies and should focus on its own sovereignty unless in imminent danger. He strongly agreed that the Chinese Communist Party poses serious military, cybersecurity, intellectual property, and economic threats, and called Israel one of America's closest allies.	Daniel Francis Butierez Sr. — Arizona U.S. House District 7 General Election 2026 Candidate Profile (iVoterGuide) Watch the replay: Adelita Grijalva and Daniel Butierez in District 7 debate DEBATE: Congressional District 7 \| August 26, 2026
Civil Rights & Equality	In his iVoterGuide questionnaire, Butierez said marriage is a union of one man and one woman, strongly disagreed that taxpayer funds should be used for gender-transition services, and said biological males should not participate in women's sports or occupy women's spaces. He also strongly disagreed that U.S. institutions are fundamentally racist (critical race theory) and that individuals or businesses should be required to provide services that violate their religious beliefs.	Daniel Francis Butierez Sr. — Arizona U.S. House District 7 General Election 2026 Candidate Profile (iVoterGuide) Adelita Grijalva and Daniel Butierez debate ICE, healthcare and water in CD7 Recap of CD7 debate between Rep. Adelita Grijalva and Daniel Butierez Sr.
Education	In his 2026 candidate questionnaire, Butierez strongly supports school choice, including voucher programs, tax credits, charter schools, private schools, and homeschooling. He also strongly supports eliminating the U.S. Department of Education and returning control to states and communities.	Daniel Francis Butierez Sr. — iVoterGuide 2026 Arizona General, U.S. House District 7 profile
Tech & AI	In an August 26, 2026 CD-7 general-election debate, Butierez criticized data centers' water demands and said companies should build water-treatment facilities before construction begins. This is a position on AI-related infrastructure rather than a broader stated policy on artificial-intelligence regulation or innovation.	Adelita Grijalva, Daniel Butierez debate ICE, water in CD7 Republican Butierrez challenges a Democrat Grijalva for the third time
Election Policy	In an Aug. 26, 2026 debate, Butierez said mail-in voting should not be ended, but supported reviewing Arizona's voter roster to verify that listed voters are legally eligible and supported proof-of-citizenship requirements associated with the federal SAVE Act. He said he would trust the federal government to handle rules for federal elections and urged people to stop attacking elections so voters can have confidence in the process; he also said he does not share some Republicans' claims that the process lacks security and integrity.	CD7 Republican candidate supports some election law changes being proposed by Trump Republican Butierrez challenges a Democrat Grijalva for the third time
Local Issues	In the August 26, 2026 debate for Arizona's 7th Congressional District, Butierez emphasized border security as a response to local homelessness, crime, and drug problems: he supported completing the border wall, opposed deploying the military to the border, and said he would pursue programs to help homeless people recover. He also supported continued ICE operations and additional border-wall construction, and backed the bipartisan Dignity Act for some undocumented residents. These positions frame local public-safety and humanitarian concerns primarily through border enforcement and drug-interdiction policy.	CD7 Republican candidate supports some election law changes being proposed by Trump Daniel Butierez says it's time for change in Southern Arizona

Review an issue

Healthcare

In the Aug. 26, 2026 Arizona 7th Congressional District debate, Butierez said his daughter and son-in-law temporarily lost Medicaid coverage during a re-verification process while his son-in-law battled cancer, and he criticized a system in which restoring coverage depended on personal connections. In his iVoterGuide questionnaire, he said the stance closest to his view was that Medicaid and Medicare should remain available without necessarily precluding other taxpayer-funded programs, and that governments, schools, and employers should not be allowed to require vaccinations.

Sources:

Adelita Grijalva and Daniel Butierez debate ICE, healthcare and water in CD7 - KTAR

Recap of CD7 debate between Rep. Adelita Grijalva and Daniel Butierez Sr. - KYMA

Daniel Francis Butierez Sr. — Arizona U.S. House District 7 General Election 2026 Candidate Profile (iVoterGuide)

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Background

Career History

Owner

Butierez Painting

Tucson-based painting business; candidate reported it generated more than $1 million in revenue in the prior year (2024).

Education

Marana High School GED (1985)

Top Donors

Raised approximately $224,367 through July 1, 2026 (FEC H4AZ07134), with the campaign overwhelmingly self-financed: Butierez loaned his campaign $136,470 and contributed another $38,737 of his own money. Individual contributions totaled roughly $56,794 ($39,892 itemized plus $16,901 unitemized), while only $2,000 came from other committees and $0 from party committees. AZPM reported in July 2025 that Butierez took no PAC contributions during the special-election cycle, consistent with a largely grassroots, self-funded operation.

Sources

BUTIEREZ, DANIEL - Candidate overview - FEC Small donors, big PACs, and out-of-state money shape Arizona's 7th Congressional District race - AZPM Grijalva and Butierez release campaign finance reports for CD7 The coming avalanche - Tucson Agenda

Voting Record

Has never held legislative office, so no public voting record exists. As a Tucson small-business owner (painting contractor) and three-time Republican nominee for AZ-07 (2024, 2025 special, 2026), his governing approach is defined by campaign platform and debate statements: securing the southern border and keeping ICE intact, supporting the SAVE Act and several Trump-proposed election-law changes, cutting taxes for small businesses, and enabling responsible mining in Southern Arizona. In the August 26, 2026 Clean Elections debate he endorsed the bipartisan Dignity Act pathway for DACA recipients and said he is not focused on claims that Trump won 2020.

Sources

View full voting record Interview with U.S. Congressional District 7 candidate Daniel Butierez - Arizona PBS Daniel Butierez For US Congress – AZ CD-07 - Official Campaign Website Congressional candidate Daniel Butierez talks about time in prison - KOLD 13 News

About this research

Data compiled from public sources and analyzed using AI. Last updated October 8, 2026. Visit candidate websites for the most current information.