‘The Fighter We Need’: Progressive Adelita Grijalva Wins Special Primary for Her Late Father’s Seat

Adelita Grijalva prevailed Tuesday in an Arizona Democratic primary race to fill the U.S. House seat left vacant by the death of her father, progressive stalwart Raúl Grijalva.

Grijalva previously served on the Pima County Board of Supervisors and the Tucson Unified School District Governing Board, and his congressional bid is backed by prominent progressive legislators and organizations including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), the Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC, National Nurses United, and the Working Families Party.

Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas), the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, implored Arizona voters to turn out for Grijalva in a video message posted on the morning of the primary contest, calling her “the fighter we need to take on Trump and the establishment.”

With more than three-quarters of the vote tallied, Grijalva has 62% support. Deja Foxx, a 25-year-old activist and Grijalva’s closest competitor, has received 21% of the vote as of this writing, according to The Associated Press.

“This is a victory not for me, but for our community and the progressive movement my dad started in Southern Arizona more than 50 years ago,” Grijalva said following her decisive win.