Democrat Adelita Grijalva and Republican Daniel Butierez faced off Tuesday night in a debate rematch for Arizona’s Congressional District 7. Watch the replay below.
The two candidates sparred over immigration enforcement and the border wall, water security and the Colorado River shortage, the Project Blue data center proposal, affordable housing, health care costs, homelessness, education funding and school vouchers, and mail-in voting. Grijalva and Butierez staked out different positions on nearly every issue, from whether to abolish ICE to how much oversight data centers should face over their water use.
Voters chose Grijalva in a special election in September 2025 to finish the term of her father, the late Rep. Raúl Grijalva. The winner of this regular election will start a full two-year term in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2027.
Before she was elected to Congress, Grijalva served on the Pima County Board of Supervisors and the Tucson Unified School District governing board.
Her opponent, Butierez, is a small business owner who has not previously held elected office.
He lost to her in the special election last fall, 69%-29%, and previously lost to her father in 2024, 63%-37%.
About Arizona Congressional District 7
This Democratic-leaning district stretches along the U.S.-México border and includes parts of six counties: Pima, Santa Cruz, Yuma, Cochise, Maricopa and Pinal as well as several tribal nations including the Pascua Yaqui and Tohono O’odham. Use this tool to look up which district you live in.
To participate in this election, register to vote or update your voter registration by Oct. 5. Early voting begins Oct. 7 and Election Day is Nov. 3.
Meet the candidates
Watch the debate
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