At just 25, Deja Foxx is shaking up the political landscape with a message that’s unapologetically urgent, deeply personal, and distinctly Gen-Z.
She’s not just running for office—she’s pushing for a generational shift in how politics is done.
More Than “The Next AOC”
Despite some calling her “the next AOC,” Foxx isn’t interested in following in anyone’s footsteps—not even Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who famously beat the odds in 2018.
“I remember when she was elected. I was just a teenager,” Foxx told The Daily Beast.
“Now I’m old enough to run for Congress. And we’re in a different moment.”
While she acknowledges Ocasio-Cortez’s legacy, Foxx made it clear she brings something different to the table.
“I represent a generation with a different urgency, a different way of communicating, and a different skill set,” she said.
Speaking Directly to a Lost Generation
Foxx didn’t hold back when addressing what she sees as a widening disconnect between young voters and the Democratic Party.
“For the first time in decades, we’ve lost ground with young people,” she warned.
“If we don’t take that seriously, 2026 and 2028 are going to be rough—and we can’t afford that.”
She pointed to families like hers—those who rely on programs like Medicaid and SNAP benefits—as the ones who will suffer the most if Democrats fail to energize their base.
Her words were a not-so-subtle jab at establishment figures, including AOC, who many young progressives now see as too centrist.
A Campaign Built on Lived Experience
Foxx’s background reads like a testament to resilience.
Raised in Tucson, Arizona, by a single mother struggling with mental health and addiction, Foxx grew up in Section 8 housing and often relied on food stamps.
At 15, she moved out and began couch-surfing while still excelling in school.
During high school, she led a push to update sex education and started a reproductive health initiative for teens.
Her advocacy landed her a scholarship to Columbia University, where she made the dean’s list and later joined Kamala Harris’s 2020 campaign as the lead for influencer strategy—at just 19.
Seizing the Moment in Arizona
Now, Foxx is one of five candidates vying for the Democratic nomination in Arizona’s 7th congressional district—a special election prompted by the passing of longtime Representative Raúl Grijalva in March.
Among her opponents is Grijalva’s daughter, Adelita, who’s backed by heavyweights like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Also on the ballot are Patrick Harris Sr., Daniel Hernandez Jr., and Jose Maldivo Jr.
Foxx originally planned to run in 2026 but saw the special election as her moment.
She calls it her “crashout or Congress” move—a bold all-in bet on the idea that her generation needs representation now.
Driven by a Sense of Responsibility
After watching Democrats lose the 2024 election in a landslide, Foxx says something clicked.
“It wasn’t enough to be behind the scenes,” she said. “I needed to give young people someone they could believe in—or we’d risk losing an entire generation.”
Her campaign is built around bold policies, including a pledge to build 12 million new social housing units and improve existing ones.
She also wants to expand Social Security, provide childcare for low-income families, and raise the federal minimum wage to $17 per hour—abolishing the tipped minimum wage altogether.
A New Kind of Candidate for a New Political Era
Foxx isn’t just running a campaign. She’s trying to prove that young, lived experience-driven leadership can change the direction of American politics.
Her story is deeply personal, but her goals are national—and aimed squarely at fixing what she says her generation has been left to deal with.
