Az Sec of State Adrian Fontes won’t join race to fill Grijalva vacancy in Congress

Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes announced Wednesday that he
would not run in the CD 7 special election to fill the seat of U.S. Rep. Raul
Grijalva, who died after a battle with lung cancer on March 13.

Fontes, a Democrat who had been considering a run in Congressional District 7, said he thought it was more important to remain in his post as Arizona’s chief elections officer in case President Donald Trump attempts to disrupt the 2026 election cycle.

The Nogales native had publicly mulled becoming a candidate in the Southern Arizona district, but Wednesday said he would not enter the race.

“I have considered the pros and cons of running for Congress,” Fontes said in a prepared statement. “It is clear to me that our party must fight harder and stand up to the rising tide of facism sweeping the nation.”

He added that he had “decided that for family, for country and for democracy, I will continue to defend America as Arizona’s secretary of state.”

Fontes expressed concern over an executive order Trump issued this week regarding the administration of elections by the individual states.

Trump’s order purports to order states to stop counting ballots received in the mail by election officials after Election Day.

Arizona already requires ballots to be in the possession of election officials by when the polls close at 7 p.m. on Election Day, although people who are still in line to vote in person at polling centers can still cast a ballot.

Among other provisions, Trump’s executive order declared the federal government would also require proof of citizenship to vote in local, state and federal elections. Arizona requires proof of citizenship to vote in state and local elections, but voters who fill out federal voter registration forms, which do not require documentary proof of citizenship but do require a declaration under penalty of perjury, must be added to the voter rolls and allowed to vote in federal elections.

Trump has frequently said, without evidence, that non-citizens are casting ballots in elections and has made unfounded allegations about state and local officials rigging outcomes at the ballot box.

The executive order also requires states to share their voter registration rolls with DOGE staffers and the Department of Homeland Security for review to ensure compliance with Trump’s new regulations.

Fontes said he was concerned where Trump’s order would lead.

“With this week’s executive order from the Trump administration, I firmly believe the president is laying the groundwork to cancel elections in 2026,” Fontes said.

On Monday, March 24, former state lawmaker Daniel Hernandez got into the CD 7 special election, saying he wanted to be “a voice and an advocate for so many of these programs that are on the chopping block because of the Trump administration and the MAGA extremists that are enabling them in Washington.”

Grijalva’s daughter, Pima County Supervisor Adelita Grijalva, is a likely candidate for the seat but said that she was waiting until after her father’s funeral, which was held Wednesday, to make any public decision about seeking the office.

Gov. Katie Hobbs has called for a special July 15 primary in CD 7, where 40 percent of voters are registered Democrats, 21 percent are registered Republicans and the remaining 39 percent are independent of the two major parties. Early voting in the primary begins on June 18.

The CD 7 special general election is scheduled for Sept. 23.

Other lesser-known Democrats who have filed statements of interest include Samuel Alegria, David “Bees” Beis, Trista di Genova, Patrick Harris Sr., Victor Longoria, Scott Sheldon and Stefawna Welch. Republicans include Daniel Butierrez Sr. (who lost the CD7 race to Grijalva in 2024), Bill Hunter III, Carolyn Norris, Michael Rebeiro, Jorge Rivas, Jimmy Rodriguez, Gabriel Tapia, Raul Verdugo and Joe Wells. Alan Aversa has filed to run as a Libertarian, while Richard Grayson has filed to run as a Green Party candidate.

To appear on the primary ballot, a Democratic candidate needs to file at least 798 valid signatures from registered voters in the congressional district. A Republican candidate needs 564 signatures on nominating petitions, while Greens and Libertarians need 370 and 376, respectively. An independent candidate seeking to skip the primary and appear on the general election ballot would need at least 4,431 valid signatures. Candidates must file their nominating petitions by April 14.

Congressional District 7 includes precincts in Tucson, Yuma, Nogales, Douglas, Sells and other areas in Southern Arizona. The majority of voters – nearly 61 percent – live in Pima County, while 14 percent live in Yuma County, 13 percent are in Maricopa County, 7 percent are in Santa Cruz County, 4 percent are in Cochise County and less than 1 percent are in Pinal County.