Dems clash on mining, experience, taxes and Trump in debate for Grijalva’s House seat

Southern Arizona Democrats running for late Congressman Raúl Grijalva’s House seat sought to differentiate themselves in a debate hosted by Arizona PBS on Tuesday.

Five Democrats competing in Congressional District 7 rushed to condemn federal Republicans. Each candidate criticized President Donald Trump and pledged to fight back against MAGA politicians if elected.

Adelita Grijalva, the late congressman’s daughter, said she’d be walking into a very different Congress than the one her father served in: one full of “extremists.”

“The values of southern Arizona are progressive, so I don’t think you can be too progressive when you're on the right side of history,” Grijalva said.

She leaned into her family’s well-established roots in Congressional District 7 politics, saying that growing up with the name Grijalva meant learning to be a fighter.

“I know how to fight and win because I learned from the best,” Grijalva said in her closing statement.

Former state lawmaker Daniel Hernandez called Grijalva “out of touch” for supporting things like a local measure to raise sales tax, which Tucson voters rejected during a period of inflation.

He said although he’s progressive, he’s experienced in working across the aisle and getting results even in the minority party.

“Democrats love to use the excuse of ‘the Republicans in the majority.’ ‘We can’t do anything.’ People cannot afford to wait until Democrats take the majority to lower the cost of living,” Hernandez said.

Hernandez distinguished himself from his opponents by voicing his support for mining projects in the district. He argued that he supports the union members who work in the mines and use that work to put food on the table.

“You can’t say that you support workers if you don’t support the work,” Hernandez said.

Grijalva pushed back at Hernandez, questioning his dedication and referencing votes he missed as a lawmaker and highlighting the times he worked with Republicans to label him a “conservative Democrat."

Twenty-five-year-old activist Deja Foxx called both Grijalva and Hernandez career politicians relying on the connections of their politically established families.

“This seat doesn’t belong to any one person or one family,” Foxx said.

She touted herself as the future of the party. Foxx is the youngest candidate in the race and holds a significant following on social media.

“As we talk to folks in the district, we know that they want the assurance that there’s a new generation of leaders ready to take on the fight, ready to take up the torch, and I’ve been doing it for the last decade,” Foxx said.

All five candidates united in criticizing Trump and promising to fight back against MAGA politicians.

Another candidate, Patrick Harris Sr., made his focus capping billionaires’ taxes through a bill he says he’s already prepared language for, called “Cap the Cap.”

Harris said the bill will “force the billionaires to reinvest trillions back into the American people.”

“Vote for the candidate with vision and a plan,” he urged voters.

Harris also proposed making election day into a holiday and granting a tax credit to voters to incentivize voting and getting people to do their taxes.

Jose Malvido Jr. said the Democratic Party needs a change. He accused career politicians of focusing too much on making money and getting reelected.

“Anybody can talk about Trump, but it’s really about transforming the Democratic Party for the long term,” he said.

He vehemently disagreed with Hernandez’s support of mining projects in the district.

“I’m the one that can speak to this,” Malvido Jr. said. “I grew up in a copper mining town where sacred sites were reduced into a giant mine pit. Yes it put food on the table but at what cost?”

Republican candidates are set to debate on Thursday afternoon.