Hogg’s First Endorsed Candidate Bombs in Deep-Blue Arizona District

Deja Foxx, a 25-year-old progressive activist supported by David Hogg’s political action committee, was defeated in Arizona’s 7th Congressional District special Democratic primary on Tuesday, falling far behind establishment-backed candidate Adelita Grijalva, as reported by The Gateway Pundit.

With 77 percent of the vote counted as of Wednesday morning, Grijalva held 62 percent support, while Foxx trailed in a distant second with just 21 percent, according to data from the Associated Press.

Adelita Grijalva defeats Deja Foxx in Arizona primary: 3 takeaways https://t.co/ME362oXeKf

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Grijalva, the daughter of late Rep. Raúl Grijalva—whose death earlier this year triggered the special election—received endorsements from numerous progressive groups and major party figures, including Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

The general election in the heavily Democratic district is considered a formality.

“This is a victory not for me, but for our community and the progressive movement my dad started in Southern Arizona more than 50 years ago,” Grijalva said in a statement following her victory.

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Foxx, who gained national attention as a teenager for confronting then-Senator Jeff Flake over abortion rights, was the first candidate to be publicly backed by Hogg’s “Leaders We Deserve” PAC.

The group was formed to challenge established Democrats by promoting young progressive candidates.

Hogg, a former vice chair of the Democratic National Committee, was removed from that position earlier this year, reportedly due in part to concerns over his efforts to fund primary challenges against longtime incumbents.

In a recent endorsement statement, Hogg said:

“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 [Tucson], her hometown.”

Foxx’s campaign leaned heavily on social media outreach and messaging around generational change, a platform that Hogg suggested was designed to counter what he called “Trump’s cruel policies.”

Despite polls that her campaign claimed showed her within reach of Grijalva, the election results did not reflect a competitive race.

Foxx’s loss raises questions about the effectiveness of Hogg’s political strategy moving forward. The Arizona race marked his PAC’s first major test.

Critics within the party have suggested that promoting inexperienced social media personalities in deep-blue districts risks alienating traditional voters and undermining more viable progressive candidates.

As of now, Hogg has not indicated whether he plans to continue backing similar candidates in upcoming races.

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