Arizona 7th Congressional District candidates: Where they stand on issues
The Arizona Republic sent a brief questionnaire to the candidates in Arizona's 7th Congressional District.
The district includes the southwestern part of Arizona near the California state line and its border with Mexico, including parts of Maricopa, Pima, Pinal, Santa Cruz and Yuma counties.
Long-serving incumbent Rep. Raúl Grijalva, D-Ariz., is running unopposed for the Democratic nomination. Grijalva was first elected to Congress in 2002. Grijalva announced in April 2024 he was undergoing treatment for cancer.
Candidate Daniel Francis Butierez Sr. is running as a Republican.
The candidates' responses are below.
Which district do you live in? Find your elected officials in Congress and other Arizona offices
Democratic candidates
Raúl Grijalva
Occupation: Member of Congress
Relevant experience: lifelong Tucsonan; former board member Tucson Unified School District; former chairman, Pima County Board of Supervisors; current representative Arizona's 7th District and Ranking Member of the Natural Resources Committee
Age: 76
Party: Democratic
Name two big problems facing the district you’re running to represent and how you would address them if elected.
Two critical issues affecting the quality of life in District 7 are education and climate change. Arizona's public education system faces significant challenges, with low support for students and schools. This results in overcrowded classrooms, inadequate pay for educators, and infrastructure issues. Increased federal support is crucial to address these issues and promote equity. Investing in education is essential for social integration and ensuring a better future for all. I am committed to advocating for greater investment in education to benefit our communities.
Meanwhile, climate change poses urgent threats, evidenced by extreme heat, wildfires, floods, and other disasters costing billions and devastating communities and families across Arizona and our nation. Transitioning to renewable energy is imperative to mitigate these impacts, and cannot happen fast enough. On the Natural Resources Committee, I am committed to leading in promoting climate resiliency and combating climate change. From environmental justice to conservation, to land and water, and species biodiversity protections, all are vital components of a comprehensive approach.
Which recent political figure do you most admire, and why?
I have always greatly admired Mo Udall. His advocacy for the environment, especially here in Arizona, had a formative effect on my own political views, and I consider it a great responsibility to live up to his conservation legacy. His support for social justice and his willingness to speak his mind, even when he was in the political minority, were important touchstones for Arizonans of all political persuasions during his career and remain important today. His wit, friendliness and humanity — even in the midst of vital political battles — have always been a reminder that public servants can't succeed without maintaining relationships and keeping perspective. His achievements have helped guide my own efforts to conserve Arizona's natural places and to uplift the southern Arizona community.
What specific actions, if any, should Congress take to make life more affordable for ordinary Arizonans?
We must address the root causes of inflation, including large corporations that continue to price gouge the American people. Instead of more Republican corporate tax giveaways, we need to stop harmful corporate consolidation, take on anti-competitive practices, and invest in small businesses.
To help lift families, Democrats passed an expanded Child Tax Credit that benefited 92% of children in Arizona. I support making that tax credit permanent. We should extend programs that provide discounts on utility bills and internet costs. To lower the cost of health care, we need to maintain discounts for premiums, offer no-cost preventive benefits, and lower prescription costs. Meanwhile, Republicans are still fighting to overturn the Affordable Care Act. As rent continues to soar, I support renewing the Emergency Rental Assistance Program as well as cracking down on price gouging.
Additionally, we need to expand worker protections and benefits in this country to cover more sectors, and invest in high paying workforce training and career pathways.
What specific actions, if any, should Congress take to reform federal immigration policy?
Border communities understand the urgent need for Congress to address immigration policy. However, Republicans have failed to engage in meaningful discussions, instead focusing on exploiting border situations for political gain and emphasizing ineffective enforcement measures.
Our top priority should be to allocate resources and funding to support local governments and NGOs assisting legal asylum seekers with essential humanitarian services. Congress must ensure that political agendas do not lead to chaos at the border.
I have continued to press for adequate funding for programs like the Shelter and Services Program (SSP) and investments in personnel such as hearing officers, immigration judges, and Customs officials. Adequate staffing levels are crucial to expediting case adjudication, reducing backlogs, and preventing drug smuggling through ports of entry.
The worsening USCIS backlogs have severe consequences, causing delays in work authorization permits and DACA renewals, resulting in job losses for many community members. Recognizing immigrants' significant economic contributions in Arizona, addressing immigration backlog issues is essential for all stakeholders.
What do you believe is the biggest threat to national security, and how should we handle it?
The most important national security threat the U.S. faces for the first time since the Civil War is coming from within: Donald Trump.
Trump’s dishonest and criminal effort since 2020 to falsely undermine our trust in the U.S. elections is a direct threat to our democracy. Trump continues to outright lie and falsely claim he won the 2020 election, conning thousands of people at a rally to storm the capitol and “fight like hell” to stop the legal certification of the President-elect Joe Biden. Trump claims immunity from prosecution while calling for using “his” Justice Department to prosecute his personal enemies hit list.
Trump continues to insist he will immediately begin mass roundups, incarceration, and deportation of all undocumented immigrants. Recently, Trump claimed there would be a “bloodbath” in this country if he did not win in November, casting doubt on the integrity of future elections. Protecting our democracy is central to protecting our national security, and Trump poses an existential threat to both.
What would you change about the US’ response to climate change, if anything?
The Biden administration has created significant alternative energy investment opportunities to end our dependencies on fossil fuel. We need to continue increasing support for renewable energy, including research and development, manufacturing here in the U.S., increasing urban installation, updating public land and farmland with large scale solar uses for agriculture and wildlife benefits, and retaining multiple use benefits to open space lands.
We need to ensure that our foreign policies and investment organizations, like the Export-Import Bank, support our climate goals by ending financial support for fossil fuel extraction. Elected officials, educational institutions, and business leaders must unite to make Arizona a global leader in solar energy. With our strategic location, we have the potential to become a premier destination for solar investment.
I believe that equity needs to be a guiding principle of our climate response and I have introduced the Environmental Justice for All Act which is rooted in the moral principle that all people have the right to pure air, clean water, and an environment that enriches life.
Do you feel confident that the 2024 election will be held securely and fairly? If not, what are your concerns?
I believe state and local election officials consider election integrity a prime duty. Arizona is a leader in voter integrity, with voters sent alerts every step of the way from receiving their ballot to final counting and recording of their vote. I encourage all states to adopt these procedures. Over 80% of Arizona voters vote by mail, which shows trust in the system.
I do fear former President Trump will continue to seek to undermine the integrity of the electoral process as he has done since 2020. Exhaustive investigations found the only people actually attempting to commit mass fraud were Trump and his fake electors. State and local election officials, the Justice Department and voters must be diligent in rejecting anti-democratic assaults on our 2024 election. All social media and traditional media formats must educate Americans on threats to our election and democracy whether from within or from foreign adversaries.
Please take this opportunity to mention any other important issue you’dlike to discuss.
Republicans are aggressively pushing a "fiscal commission" that is designed to fast-track cuts to Social Security, Medicare, and other government programs. I believe that hard earned benefits are non-negotiable. Any legislation on Social Security should go through regular order so that Congress can debate it in the sunlight. As co-chair of the Expand Social Security Caucus I support the Social Security 2100 Act that makes sure benefits keep pace with rising costs and fixes the long-term solvency of the program by requiring the very wealthy to pay taxes like the rest of us. Seniors in our country shouldn’t be languishing in poverty, period.
I adamantly reject what Trump and Republicans have done to restrict a woman's right to control her own body. We need to elect Democrats to urgently reinstate access to a full spectrum of reproductive health care, including abortion.
Arizona election 2024: Here's everything to know about registering and voting
Republican candidate
Daniel Francis Butierez Sr.
Occupation: Registered contractor who owns two small companies.
Relevant experience: Put in prison without due process and served 10 years. Spent 2-2.5 years homeless and overcame to become a successful business owner. These life changing events make me more qualified and connected to our community than any other.
Age: 57
Party: Republican
Name two big problems facing the district you’re running to represent and how you would address them if elected.
As CD 7 covers almost the entire Arizona Mexican border it is the biggest issue. At the request of the people I am running to represent, I have traveled every mile of the border. The absolute worse border is located in Sasabe and found the drugs are being trafficked across the Chilton Ranch and picked up in Arivaca, Arizona. The next issue is the homeless crisis made worse as Pima County has gone into debt putting illegals up in hotels. Our homeless are left in the street doing drugs. I have plans to address both.
Which recent political figure do you most admire, and why?
I most admire (Texas Gov. Greg) Abbott because he’s taken a stand to secure our border.
What specific actions, if any, should Congress take to make life more affordable for ordinary Arizonans?
I’m not a politician and I don’t believe government can fix anything. I believe if they stopped wasting our tax dollars housing illegals funding wars we would be better off. I believe allowing Arizona inmates to do jobs being given to migrants would reduce taxes. We then make the inmates pay their room and board reducing our taxes. I believe ending the funding of methadone clinics would save us billions.
I have a program to get our homeless off the streets and end the 150 failed rehabs taxpayers fund.
What specific actions, if any, should Congress take to reform federal immigration policy?
Simply enforce our immigration laws. Grijalva broke our immigration with his illegal immigration. As with all court cases, criminal cases take priority over civil cases. If we enforced immigration laws we wouldn’t have our courts overwhelmed with court cases and legal immigration would be quicker.
What do you believe is the biggest threat to national security, and how should we handle it?
Open borders is our biggest threat. It’s putting an unnecessary strain on our economy. What I witnessed in Sasabe is it’s keeping our border patrol busy enough that drug runners are easily bringing drugs into our country.
What would you change about the US’ response to climate change, if anything?
I would demand China address climate change before American taxpayers purchased one electric car or battery from them.
Do you feel confident that the 2024 election will be held securely and fairly? If not, what are your concerns?
My concerns are that illegals will be voting in our elections. They are clearly being brought over to favor Democrats in our elections. Biden is presently using tax money to pay people to go out and register individuals who will vote Democrat and ignoring the schools this year. My wife has been going out to high schools and registering kids. Biden’s administration is correct, the kids are mostly registering as Republicans. That’s why he’s not registering them.
Please take this opportunity to mention any other important issue you’dlike to discuss.
I’m a third generation Arizonan who has watched our communities get divided by politics. Neighbors no longer speak to each other and I want to fix that. When I was a boy, we use to have pig roast and invited the whole neighborhood. We were white, Mexican, Black, rich and poor and it didn’t matter. We knew everyone! Tucson is my home and my family has been here for a hundred years longer than the Grijalva’s. We are the Butierez, Gutierrez, Calderon, and the Benavides. I’ve even got some of Grijalva’s family voting for me. Grijalva, if he runs, which I am friends with some of his family and he may not, can’t beat me.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona 7th Congressional District election: The candidates
