Deja Foxx's first candidacy for Congress comes to an end

Deja Foxx's quixotic campaign to represent southern Arizona in Congress has ended, not with a whimper, but with a strong promise of more change.

The Filipino American GenZ political activist told supporters at her election night watch party: “I want to close by saying this, that not every candidate and not every campaign gets to say that the world was better because they ran, but we do.”

In a statement, the 25-year old activist gave her "full support" to her opponent Adelita Grijalva, the 54 year old daughter of the late Rep. Raul Grijalva, whose death earlier this year while still in office necessitated the special election for Congressional District 7 in southern Arizona.

While Foxx outperformed expectations in her first candidacy, Grijalva handily won the Democratic nomination with two-thirds of ballots cast July 15. However, Foxx finished second and she achowledged her surprise standing in an earlier interview with the Arizona Republic, she said, "We're not even supposed to be here."

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Foxx did a livestream prior to appearing at her watch party last night. “This election, this district, is better off because we are in this race,” Foxx said. “We need to look at the kind of candidates we are now, the kind of races we are running, and we are not just talking the talk. We are walking the walk.”

At 8:30 p.m. Foxx came out to speak to her mostly youthful supporters and encouraged them to continue to be the "changemakers" the Democratic party needs but did not concede.

It was not until this morning that she issued a concession statement, appropriately, via Instagram. She posted:

"While results aren’t what we hoped for— I couldn’t be prouder of what we built together.

"This started as a 25-year-old filling out paperwork alone in her bedroom, and in just over 100 days grew into a grassroots movement of tens of thousands that wrote a new playbook for our generation of leaders. We shattered expectations, brought new people into the process, and proved that when young people, working-class families, and everyday Arizonans lead, anything is possible.

"For so many, this was your first time getting involved in politics—and let me tell you: you made a difference. You made calls, knocked doors, donated what you could. You believed in something bigger than yourself, you believed change was possible. That hope will carry on far past this election.

"Because change doesn’t come from a single election—it comes from a movement that refuses to give up. And we’re not going anywhere. This is just the beginning. Let’s take what we’ve learned, keep organizing, and keep building. I’m proud to offer my full support to our nominee, Adelita Grijalva, in the next phase of this race."

Meanwhile, Grijalva is expected to sail through the September 23 special general election given the district’s dominant Democratic voter registration edge. Grijalva will face Republican Daniel Butierez in the general election in September to finishe the remainder of her father's term. She would then have to campaign for the seat again in 2026.

If Foxx was elected, she would have become the first Filipino American woman and the youngest member of Congress.

She cut her teeth in politics working with the Democratic Party and was the youngest staff member of Kamala Harris' presidential campaign in 2024.

Foxx got national attention at the age 15 when she boldly questioned then-Republican Sen. Jeff Flake at a town hall for his stance on birth control and abortion. The video of that interchange went viral.

At the 2024 Democratic National Convention, she was picked to address the convention-goers as a member of Gen Z in support of Harris.

EDITOR'S NOTE:  This is a developing story. Check back later for more news and analysis. For additional commentary, news, views and chismis from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, on X or at the blog Views From the Edge. Now on BlueSky.