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So is the last Republican to challenge Grijalva and lose.

And they’re among more than a dozen people who have formally signaled their interest in running for the seat Grijalva held for 22 years.

Secretary of State Adrian Fontes has joined Pima County Supervisor Adelita Grijalva in saying that he is considering joining the race for the Democratic nomination in Congressional District 7.

Fontes publicly formalized his interest in , in which he said, “I am strongly considering a run to represent AZ-07, a place where I was born and raised, served my country in the Marine Corp and protected democracy.�

Fontes, an attorney, is originally from Nogales. The big question before him is whether Grijalva’s daughter will pursue the seat. Adelita Grijalva previously said she will announce her intentions after her father’s services, which take place next week.

Whoever wins the Democratic nomination in the heavily Democratic district could have a familiar Republican opponent. Daniel Butierez announced this week his plan to run again for Grijalva’s seat.

Butierez lost to Grijalva by 63.4% to 36.6% of the vote in the November 2024 election.

In addition to Butierez, 13 other people have filed statements of interest to run for the seat. The Republicans are: William Hunter III, Carolyn Norris, Michael Rebeiro, Jorge Rivas, Gabriel Tabia, Raul Verdugo and Joe Wells.

Adelita Grijalva and Fontes have not filed statements of interest, but four other Democrats have: David Bies, Patrick Harris Sr., Samantha Severson and Stefawna Welch.

Green Party member Richard Grayson and Libertarian Alan Aversa also filed statements of interest.

The deadline for candidates to submit petition signatures is April 14.

Dem starts in CD 6

Republican Juan Ciscomani has his first serious challenger in Congressional District 6. of Pinal County launched her campaign in February and said in an interview Thursday she has raised more than $500,000, though she has not detailed her campaign finances in a filing yet.

Mendoza, 48, ran for state Senate in 2020, losing to incumbent Sen. Vince Leach by 54.4% to 45.6%.

Mendoza is a Pinal County native who lives in Red Rock and cites her experience as a Marine Corps veteran and a child of farmworkers in stating her case against Ciscomani.

“People are looking for leadership, and they’re looking for a way to fight back,� Mendoza said. “We’re giving them that opportunity by jumping in so early.�

Mendoza served three years in the Navy and then more than 17 years in the Marine Corps before retiring, she said. She served two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan.

As a person who has benefited from federal programs, she said, she views Ciscomani as vulnerable on the issue of the sweeping cuts the Trump administration is making.

“He is going to have a really hard time trying to justify the ransacking of our agencies,� she said.

Other potential Democratic candidates are considering a run, but the primary election isn’t until Aug. 4, 2026, 16 months away.

GOP checks city budget

The first answer has been given to ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Mayor Regina Romero’s demand that opponents of Prop. 414 say what the city should cut.

After Prop. 414 lost badly last week, Romero challenged those who opposed the sales-tax measure to come up with city budget solutions themselves.

The Pima County GOP issued a report this week recommending cuts and efficiencies. Their first recommendation: Resume charging bus fares of $1 to $1.50 per ride, with discounts for low-income riders.

Their projection for fare revenue: $15 million to $25 million. That will be a hard number to reach: The last full year that Sun Tran charged fares, fiscal year 2019, it netted about $10.9 million in passenger revenue.

Among the reports other recommendations:

• Cut and consolidate city housing programs and shifting to partnerships with non-profits
• Explore outsourcing and technological innovation to improve the efficiency of business services
• Cut environmental initiatives that are part of city’s waste-collection efforts

The GOP estimates the total savings at $34 million to $54.7 million.

‘Someone wake him up’

It was near the end of the ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ City Council’s meeting Tuesday night when the members started voting on one of the rare issues with an unknown outcome: Whether to ban camping in washes.

Mayor Regina Romero, council member Karin Uhlich and council member Nikki Lee voted yes.

Council members Paul Cunningham, Lane Santa Cruz and Kevin Dahl voted no.

So Ward 5’s Richard Fimbres would cast the deciding vote. And Fimbres, who has been attending meetings remotely since the pandemic began, didn’t say anything and was invisible on his office camera.

“Someone wake him up,� grumbled a voice from the dais. It was Dahl.

Cunningham later piped up, “If Richard’s awake, he should vote on that item that went 3-3.�

In the end, Fimbres didn’t vote and the proposal died. His office did not reply to Star reporter Charles Borla’s request for an explanation.

For his part, Dahl said when he spoke up, it was late and the comment “was out of frustration.�

Cunningham contended Thursday night that he now believes something was wrong with Fimbres' audio and that he actually voted yes but was unheard. The council may rehear the issue. 

Lake confronts Gallego at club

When Kari Lake ran into Sen. Ruben Gallego at a private club in Washington D.C. last month, she greeted him with what he thought was a warm, two-handed handshake. 

But then came her acid words: "How does it feel to be bought and paid for by the cartels?"

this week, and Gallego confirmed it happened. Gallego beat Lake 50.1% to 47.7% to win the U.S. Senate seat in the November, 2024 election. 

His response, he said, was not what he (or at least his wife) wished it would have been: "'Easily: I won.' "