They’re calling her an influencer. She’s calling it campaign strategy.

July 7, 2025

Deja Foxx, a 25-year-old Gen Z candidate running for Congress in Arizona's southern district, is challenging established candidates like Adelita Grijalva by leveraging social media to reach voters and raise funds. After years as a reproductive rights activist and digital strategist, Foxx has built a national following that has helped her raise over $600,000 from 18,000 individual donors, mostly through platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Her campaign emphasizes that her social media expertise isn't just a campaign strategy but a necessary skill for Democratic leaders to effectively communicate with younger voters who are increasingly disenchanted with traditional politics.

Who is affected

Young voters, particularly Gen Z and Millennials who get news from social media platforms
Voters in Arizona's southern congressional district formerly represented by Raúl Grijalva
Democratic Party members concerned about connecting with younger voters
Traditional political candidates who may lack social media communication skills
Other Gen Z political hopefuls looking to enter politics
Donors from across the country who support Foxx's campaign

What action is being taken

Foxx is staging weekly TikTok Lives where volunteers read supporter letters, which typically draws thousands of viewers
Foxx is using social media platforms to bypass traditional media and connect directly with potential voters
David Hogg's political action committee "Leaders We Deserve" has endorsed Foxx's campaign
Foxx is actively fundraising, recently announcing she reached $600,000 in campaign donations
Foxx is participating in debates and creating viral content from these political events

Why it matters

The race represents a potential generational shift in Democratic Party leadership, potentially making Foxx the youngest woman elected to Congress
Foxx's campaign demonstrates how social media can help lesser-known candidates compete against established politicians with traditional endorsements
The campaign highlights changing methods of political communication as voter demographics shift, with over half of U.S. adults getting news from social media
It challenges traditional political hierarchies by allowing candidates to bypass legacy media and connect directly with voters
The strategy transforms a local congressional race into a national fundraising effort through digital platforms

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: The 19th