Progressive influencer Deja Foxx suffered a major defeat in Arizona’s 7th Congressional District, losing by over 40 points to Pima County Supervisor Adelita Grijalva. Despite Foxx’s strong social media presence and endorsements from progressive figures like David Hogg and the PAC “Leaders We Deserve,” she secured just 21% of the vote. Grijalva, daughter of the late Rep. Raúl Grijalva, easily won with 62%, backed by political heavyweights including Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Foxx’s campaign focused heavily on her personal story—growing up on food stamps, living in Section 8 housing, and early abortion rights activism. While her message resonated online, it failed to translate into voter support. Though both candidates ran on nearly identical progressive platforms, voters favored the more established candidate with deep community ties and institutional support.

Despite the blowout loss, Foxx framed her campaign as a movement victory, citing grassroots energy and her rise from humble beginnings. However, critics pointed out the harsh electoral reality: she lost by a wide margin despite raising over $670,000 and attempting a new style of campaigning through social media outreach.

Meanwhile, on the East Coast, democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani is fueling broader ambitions within the far-left movement. After a surprising win in New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary, Mamdani’s allies are reportedly considering primary challenges against top House Democrats, including Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Reps. Nadler, Goldman, and Clarke.

In response, Jeffries’ team has promised a “forceful and unrelenting” defense, highlighting growing tensions within the Democratic Party between the progressive left and establishment figures.