Arizona’s 7th Congressional District held a special election this year after the passing of longtime Congressman Raúl Grijalva—a progressive icon who represented the district for over two decades. Among those running to fill the seat was his daughter, Adelita Grijalva, a school board member and county supervisor with deep local roots.

Adelita Grijalva, Democratic nominee in Arizona’s 7th Congressional District special election. (Photo: adelitaforcongress.com)

One of her opponents? Deja Foxx—a 25-year-old Gen Z activist and digital strategist who ran a bold, unapologetically progressive campaign aimed at shaking up the establishment.

Deja Foxx, former AZ-07 candidate. (Source: dejafoxx.com)

Now let me be honest: I was just scrolling through Instagram one day when I came across Deja’s page—and I stopped cold. The content was sharp. The visuals were powerful. The message was clear. I found myself nodding along, impressed by the polish, the energy, the vision. I hit follow.

But here’s the twist: Deja Foxx had 254,000+ followers. Adelita Grijalva had just 6,723.
Foxx had nearly 3,700% more followers. On social media, she looked like the runaway favorite.

But she lost. And it wasn’t even close.
Grijalva won with about 62% of the vote. Foxx finished second with just 21%.

Because here’s the reality: social media doesn’t vote—voters do. And most of those followers? They didn’t live in the district. They couldn’t cast a ballot. Meanwhile, Adelita Grijalva carried a name that had been on campaign signs, ballots, and community programs for decades. Her ground game was rooted in trust, recognition, and relationships built over time.

I’ve said it for years—name ID is king. If a candidate has stronger name recognition than their opponents, the race is usually over before it even begins. And that’s not just some cliché—that’s backed by every campaign I’ve ever worked on. You can’t out-message or out-hustle a household name in a 90-day sprint. You can be the smartest, most energetic, best-funded candidate in the race, but if voters don’t already know your name, you’re swimming upstream the entire way.

Strong name ID can’t be overcome in a single election cycle. Period.

But here’s where it flips: by running in this race, Deja Foxx now has that name ID. She’s introduced herself to thousands of voters on the ground and to tens of thousands more through the media coverage she earned. So the next time she runs—and I believe there will be a next time—she’s the one to beat. And any first-time candidate who thinks they’re going to walk in and outshine her with flashy messaging and a viral launch video is going to learn the same lesson she just did.

Name ID is the most valuable asset in politics, and once you earn it, it’s yours to carry into every race that follows.

Campaigns end. But name recognition doesn’t.