Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes speaking with attendees at the 2023 Legislative Forecast Luncheon hosted by the Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona.
Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes is soft-launching a Congressional run, as the field of potential candidates for the border district continues to increase.
Fontes said he won’t make a final decision until after next week’s funeral services for the late Rep. Raúl Grijalva, but announced Tuesday night on social media he is “strongly considering a run to represent AZ-07.”
The Democrat from Nogales told AZPM the run would be “a homecoming.”
“I'm going to prepare as if I am running just in case the decision is yes,” he said. “Because this is such a short time period, it's smart to get started early, and if we decide against it, then we'll figure out how to unwind things.”
Fontes’ candidacy would mean a shake-up for the Secretary of State’s office, with almost two years left in his four-year term.
Arizona’s “resign-to-run” laws require any current officeholder to resign before filing their official nomination papers.
“The timing of this one versus the next general election means that there will very likely be, if I run, there will be a new Secretary of State before the primary election,” said Fontes.
Candidates have about a month until the April 14 deadline to file nomination papers. If Fontes officially enters the race, Governor Hobbs would appoint a replacement Secretary of State.
Fontes was previously the Maricopa County Recorder from 2016 until Republican Stephen Richer defeated him in 2020. He then served a brief stint as interim chief deputy for Pima County Recorder Gabriella Cázares-Kelly starting in 2021. He was elected Secretary of State in 2022 over Republican Mark Finchem, with a margin of about 5%.
He indicated his campaign would focus on issues similarly important to Grijalva; immigration reform, natural resources, and tribal affairs.
“Every season needs some rejuvenation. But that doesn't mean that you change the roots,” he said. “I think that we can honor the representative and his values and his work, while moving forward and developing at the same time.”
On the border, Fontes said he wants to shift the discussion of immigration reform.
“Immigration reform has to not just be a counter to the anti-immigration sentiment, it also has to be a gateway to economic development along the border,” he said.
According to the Secretary, Southern Arizona “hasn’t gotten its fair shake” of the CHIPS act, a $53 billion dollar investment from the Biden Administration to expand semiconductor manufacturing and research. The most notable Arizona-based investment is the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s expansion in north Phoenix.
“There's plenty of folks in Tucson who know how to do high tech jobs,” he said. “We've got a really talented workforce that needs the kind of great jobs that we can bring in, but we don't just need them up in central Arizona. We need to bring them down into southern Arizona.”
Special Election
On Monday, Hobbs called a special primary for July 15, with a special election on September 23, officially kicking off an accelerated election season.
Fontes has not filed any official paperwork yet, but other 13 candidates have filed statements of interest, as of Wednesday afternoon.
These include three other Democrats, and seven Republicans. Grijalva’s 2024 opponent, MAGA Republican and political newcomer Daniel Butierez, also announced his candidacy on March 17.
Democrat Adelita Grijalva’s candidacy is also pending. The late Congressman’s daughter and current Pima County Supervisor said she would announce her decision after the funeral.
Rep. Grijalva’s family announced his funeral will take place at 10:00 am on Wednesday, March 26th at St. Augustine Cathedral in Tucson.
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