Local opinion: From New York to Tucson, working families are committed to electing real progressives

I’m 21 years old, and I come from a working-class family on the south side of Tucson. I’m a proud progressive because I believe in something simple but powerful: The government should work for all of us, not just the wealthy few.

That belief is why I’m organizing for Adelita Grijalva’s campaign for Congress. This moment demands more than political insiders or social media influencers. It demands leaders with deep roots in our communities and a bold, progressive vision for the future.

When Zohran Mamdani won his race in New York, despite being outspent and targeted by conservative Democrats, it sent a powerful message. Working-class, multiracial, youth-led coalitions can win. His victory wasn’t just a win for New York. It was a win for all of us fighting to build a better country.

Adelita Grijalva is building that same kind of coalition here in Southern Arizona. Like Mamdani, she’s endorsed by progressives like Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the Working Families Party because she is centering the issues that matter most: housing affordability, Medicare for All, student debt cancellation, environmental justice and humane immigration reform.

What matters even more is that Adelita isn’t new to this. She’s been fighting these fights for years. And while her last name might be familiar, Adelita’s track record is her own. She stood up for Mexican American Studies when the state tried to shut it down. She was often the lone “no” vote on the Pima County Board of Supervisors — a body with a 4-1 Democratic majority — when policies didn’t serve working people. She has always taken bold, principled stands, even when it wasn’t easy or popular. This isn’t new. Congressman Grijalva did the same.

The Grijalvas gave me, and so many others, a political home when the broader Democratic Party didn’t feel welcoming. They have been building political infrastructure for poor, brown communities so we can hold power and have a say in our future. That didn’t exist before, and I know that same spirit lives on in Adelita. Some folks are drawn to online personalities and viral moments. But this race won’t be decided by who has the most followers on Instagram or Twitter. It will be decided by the people, right here, in Southern Arizona. And when I talk to voters at the doors, they know Adelita. They remember her showing up to community events, to school board meetings, to neighborhood gatherings. Not for cameras, but because she cares.

This race should be about who has been here. Who understands our families. Who is ready to fight for us in Congress from Day 1. This is not just another political race. It is about whether Southern Arizona continues to be represented by someone who understands our struggles.

From New York to Tucson, the message is clear. When progressives organize, we win. Mamdani showed us that. Now it’s our turn. Let’s make sure Southern Arizona stays in the hands of a leader who knows us, fights for us, and believes in our future. That leader is Adelita Grijalva.