Tucson artist explores run against Grijalva

Tucson artist and author Edna San Miguel organized an exploratory committee earlier this month.

The Republican is a former teacher who raised a son who has autism and now wants to run for office to represent Tucson, she said in a speech to the Tucson Republican Women on Monday.

She was a conservator and registrar on the project to restore the San Xavier Mission, and she wrote and illustrated a book about the mission. She grew up in Tucson and earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Arizona.

She is collecting donations and prayers, she said.

San Miguel, 57, describes herself as a constitutionalist and a pro-life candidate whose top issues are border issues, public safety and jobs.

San Miguel seeks to challenge Democrat Raúl Grijalva, who is serving his seventh term in Congress.

District 3 includes parts of Pima, Maricopa, Pinal, Santa Cruz and Yuma counties. Unlike other congressional races in Southern Arizona, District 3 has not attracted money from outside groups in recent election cycles.

Districts boundaries could change depending on a U.S. Supreme Court decision, expected by the end of the month, on a case filed by the Arizona Legislature over who has power to draw the district lines.