Governor Katie Hobbs has issued a proclamation calling for a special primary election to fill the vacancy created by the death of Congressman Raul Grijalva in Congressional District 7. The special primary is set for Tuesday, July 15, 2025, and a special general election on Tuesday, September 23, 2025.
Grijalva died from cancer on Thursday morning.
Federal law (2 U.S.C. § 8) provides that special elections to fill vacancies in the U.S. House of Representatives are held under applicable state laws.
State law requires that the governor must call for a special primary election within 72 hours of the passing of a U.S. representative if there isn’t a general election scheduled in the next six months:
Under A.R.S. § 16-222(B), if the next regular general election is not to be held within six months from the date of the occurrence of the vacancy, the Governor shall call a special primary election to be held 120 to 133 days after the vacancy and a special general election to be held 70 to 80 days after the special primary election.
