BURSTLeaders We Deserve, a political group founded by David Hogg and Kevin Lata, announced on Wednesday that it would be supporting Gen Z influencer Deja Foxx, who’s running to succeed the late Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.).
A special election to fill the remainder of his term is set for September, with a primary on July 15.
“Deja Foxx has been holding Republicans’ and career politicians' feet to the fire since she was 15 years old. She’s an organizer who has carved her own path after experiencing homelessness and working at a gas station — and she is ready to fight for Tuscon, her hometown,” Hogg said in a statement.
Hogg noted, too, that she “stood up to Arizona’s former Republican Senator Jeff Flake” – referring to an exchange she had with Flake when she was 16 years old that later went viral in which she pressed him on reproductive care access.
“Deja knows people like her haven’t been seen in politics, and she has translated her story to represent a new vision of generational change that speaks truth to Trump’s cruel policies,” he added.
Foxx, in her own statement, said she was “excited” to work with the group as she faces a crowded primary field for the Democratic nod for Arizona’s 7th Congressional District.
“I'm proud to be in this fight with Leaders We Deserve, an organization that understands the power of young people to transform politics and fight for communities that have been left out,” she said.
Foxx is running to finish out the remainder of Grijalva’s term in the House; Grijalva died in March at the age of 77 over complications of his cancer treatments.
The late lawmaker’s daughter, former Pima County Supervisor Adelita Grijalva, is also running in the Democratic primary, in addition to businessman Patrick Harris Sr.; former state Rep. Daniel Hernandez, who helped save former Rep. Gabby Giffords’s (D-Ariz.) life after the 2011 Tucson-area shooting; and doctoral student José Malvido Jr.
Former Pima County Supervisor Adelita Grijalva has enjoyed endorsements from top Democrats in the Grand Canyon State and beyond, including Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego, Vermont progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.).
Hernandez has received endorsements from a mix of former and current Arizona legislators, the Teamsters and several U.S. House members, among others.
The special election to fill the seat will be Sept. 23; given the district’s reliably blue leanings, whoever wins the July primary will be the heavy favorite to win in the fall.