2026 Election: Adelita Grijalva, GOP's Daniel Butierez took part in clean elections debate
PHOENIX - The Democratic and Republican candidates for Arizona's 7th Congressional District took part in a debate on Aug. 26, and here's what to know.
Who organized the debate?
Per their website, the Citizens Clean Elections Commission is the official debate sponsor.
Who is taking part in the debate?
Adelita Grijalva
The surname "Grijalva" is not an unfamiliar one in Arizona politics, as Adelita is the second person in her family to serve in Congress, having been sworn into Congress in November 2025, several weeks after winning a special election. The special election was held to replace Adelita's father, Raul Grijalva, who died in March 2025 after a decades-long congressional career.
On her campaign website, Adelita touted her decades-long work in Pima County at the teen court, as well as her time as a Pima County Supervisor.
Daniel Francis Butierez, Sr.
This is not the first time Butierez ran for the seat. According to state records, Butierez ran against Raul in the 2024 election, and against Adelita in the 2025 special election. In both elections, Butierez lost.
On Butierez's website, he mentioned tax cuts, tax code reforms, promoting job growth, and giving the U.S. Border Patrol the resources they need as some of his policies. He also called himself a "small business owner & third generation Arizonan" on his website.
Adelita Grijalva and Daniel Butierez
When is the general election?
What's next:
Officials with the Arizona Secretary of State's Office say the general election will take place on Nov. 3, 2026. The last day to register to vote is Oct. 5.
The Source: Information for this article was gathered from the Citizens Clean Elections Commission's website, as well as from the websites for Adelita Grijalva and Daniel Francis Butierez, Sr.