Secretary of State Adrian Fontes said he is considering a run to replace Congressman Raul Grijalva, who passed away last week.
In a statement posted on social media, Fontes confirmed he is “strongly considering” entering a special election in Congressional District 7, a heavily blue district covering parts of southern Arizona.
Gov. Katie Hobbs scheduled a special primary election in CD7 for July 15. The winners of those primaries will face off in a special general election on September 23.
Arizonans elected Fontes in 2022 and his term as secretary of state does not end for more than a year. State law requires him to resign from that office by the time he files paperwork to run for Congress.
According to the Secretary of State’s office, candidates must file nomination petitions to participate in the special election by April 14.
If he resigns from office to run for Congress, Gov. Katie Hobbs would name a replacement.
So far, 13 candidates have filed paperwork to run for Grijalva’s seat, though no high-profile candidates from either party have officially entered the race yet. Tucson Mayor Regina Romero, a prominent southern Arizona Democrat, said she will not enter the race.
In a post on social media, Grijalva’s daughter, Pima County Supervisor Adelita Grijalva, said her family is still grieving and that she will wait until after her father’s funeral to announce her decision. Memorial services for the late Congressman are scheduled for next week.
Fontes does not currently live in the CD 7, but he grew up in Nogales and was stationed in Yuma during his time in the Marine Corps.
The Constitution does not require candidates for Congress to live in the districts they hope to represent, and Arizonans have elected out-of-district representatives to Congress in the past. That happened last year, when West Valley voters elected Republican Abraham Hamadeh, a Scottsdale resident, in Congressional District 8.
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