Political Notebook: Outside spending in CD7 may help Grijalva more than hurt

Supporters of Adelita Grijalva’s campaign for Congress were surprised to receive mailers, get phone calls or encounter online ads attacking her this week.

The ads come from a new political action committee calling itself Tucson Families Fed Up PAC, which was formed June 12. Who is really behind it, who the group is trying to benefit, and whether it has any real connections to Tucson, no one knows for sure.

The ads suggest that Grijalva’s record shows she’s not strong enough for the moment. One digital ad, for example, says “We need a leader to fight back against Trump. That’s not Adelita Grijalva.”

It’s part of $94,085 in spending by the PAC so far against Grijalva, considered the frontrunner to replace her late father, Raul Grijalva, in Congressional District 7.

But according to Federal Elections Commission records, Grijalva has benefited from much more independent spending than that spent in the recent effort against her. Outside groups such as a PAC associated with the League of Conservation Voters and the Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC have put a total of $388,277 into efforts supporting Grijalva so far.

A super PAC established in February called Progressive Promise reported spending $101,250 on ads in favor of Grijalva this week.

The Working Families Party PAC has spent $127,000 on TV ads supporting her since June 4.

The Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC has spent $80,000 on ads supporting Grijalva since June 11.

The League of Conservation Voters’ LCV Victory Fund has spent $60,027 supporting Grijalva, also since June 11.

Daniel Hernandez Jr., the other well-known candidate in the race, has also benefited from some independent spending supporting him. A super PAC called the Save America Fund has spent $47,790 on mailers and signs supporting Hernandez since May 8.

The other candidates in the Democratic and Republican primaries for Congressional District 7 haven’t benefited from or been targeted by independent spending.

Even spending against a candidate isn’t always a pure negative for the target. Grijalva noted that the ads against her criticize her for banning from Pima County Board of Supervisors’ meetings an attendee who called her colleague Matt Heinz, who is gay, a “pedophile” during a call to the audience.

“I will never apologize for standing up to homophobic hate speech targeting members of our LGBTQ-plus community,” Grijalva said in a new pitch for donations.

State Dems set new election

The ongoing dispute in the Arizona Democratic Party over chair Robert Branscomb’s performance will come to a head July 16.

That’s the date when the state committee is scheduled to meet in a virtual session and vote on whether to oust Branscomb from his job.

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At least two-thirds of the approximately 700 state committee members will have to vote to remove Branscomb in order for him to be ousted. So now, Tempe Democrat Steven Jackson said, the discussion is about exactly how many members of the state party committee there are. Jackson, who leads the Legislative District 8 Democrats in the Phoenix area’s East Valley, launched the challenge.

Branscomb won the state party’s leadership role in January as a challenger to the status quo, defeating incumbent Yolanda Bejarano, who had been endorsed by most of the state’s prominent, elected Democrats. Some party members cited dissatisfaction with the party’s 2024 election performance in voting against her.

Critics have gone after Branscomb for appointing a new executive director who was a friend of his, over the objections of state elected officials, and for airing a dispute with the state’s Democratic U.S. senators in public. They’ve also noted fundraising has stalled while spending is accelerating, meaning the party could run out of money by the end of the year.

Defenders, such as Kaycee Campbell, vice president of the Maricopa Young Democrats, suspect racism may be a reason for the attacks. Branscomb is black. Campbell also defended him in a written statement as doing the work he was elected to do.

“Despite all this, Chairman Branscomb shows up. He answers calls. He speaks at events. He does the job. While others throw tantrums, he works,” she wrote.

Sonoran governor free in Phoenix

Usually, a Sonoran governor landing in an Arizona airport wouldn’t be worth comment.

But on Thursday afternoon, Sonoran Gov. Alfonso Durazo made sure to post twice on social media that he had arrived at the Phoenix airport and was driving freely to a meeting.

That’s because a report caught fire in the Mexican news media last week that Durazo is wanted by U.S. authorities and would be arrested if he set foot in the United States. The report, by Luis Chaparro’s Pie de Nota outlet, cited a Department of Homeland Security database allegedly labeling Durazo a “suspected terrorist” who is subject to mandatory arrest.

Apparently not that mandatory.

“It’s a pleasure to greet you and inform you that I’m here in Phoenix, Arizona. We’re going to the Arizona-Mexico Commision meeting,” Durazo said as he rode in a car, making sure to show the landscape, including Phoenix street signs.

Dannels named to Trump committee

Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels has been named to the Trump administration’s Homeland Security Advisory Council.

The 22-member committee, which advises the homeland security secretary and president, includes many prominent Trump political supporters. Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, tech billionaire Marc Andreessen and talk show host Mark Levin are among the other members.

Dannels is the only sheriff and the only serving law enforcement officer on the committee.

The reconstituted council, which was established to give independent advice to the homeland security secretary, is scheduled to have its first meeting on July 2 in Washington, D.C.