Who are the candidates in the 2025 special election?

Executive Summary — Quick Answer to “Who are the candidates in the 2025 special election?”

The 2025 special elections cover multiple House seats and state contests; the most-cited candidate lists across the provided briefings show contested races in Arizona’s 7th, Florida’s 1st and 6th, Virginia’s 11th, Texas’s 18th, and Tennessee’s 7th, among others. The compilations name both major-party matchups—Adelita Grijalva (D) vs. Daniel Butierez (R) in AZ-07; Jimmy Patronis (R) vs. Gay Valimont (D) in FL-01; Randy Fine (R) vs. Josh Weil (D) in FL-06; James Walkinshaw (D) vs. Stewart Whitson (R) in VA-11—and more crowded primaries, notably the Texas 18th field (Menefee, Edwards, Jones, Montiel) and multi-candidate lists in Tennessee’s 7th (Aftyn Behn and several independents) as reported by aggregated election resources ^{[1] [2] [3]}. The sources disagree on completeness and emphasize that official state listings and Ballotpedia/Wikipedia pages are the working references ^{[4] [3] [2]}.

1. Who’s on the ballot where the country is watching: a rapid district-by-district roll call

The assembled material compiles named contenders in the high-profile special contests: Arizona’s 7th District lists Adelita Grijalva (Democrat) and Daniel Butierez (Republican); Virginia’s 11th has James Walkinshaw (Democrat) and Stewart Whitson (Republican); Florida’s 1st names Jimmy Patronis (Republican) and Gay Valimont (Democrat); Florida’s 6th shows Randy Fine (Republican) and Josh Weil (Democrat). These pairings appear in summary pages and election roundups that aggregate state filings and race announcements; those pages indicate that some districts remain subject to primary scheduling or confirmation by state secretaries of state ^{[1] [3]}. Ballotpedia and state SOS links are cited as primary compilation points and used to cross-check who has qualified or advanced in primaries ^{[4] [3]}.

2. The crowded Texas 18th race: names, runoff dynamics, and what’s unresolved

Texas’s 18th District special election is shown as particularly crowded, with Christian Menefee, Amanda Edwards, Jolanda Jones (all Democrats), and Carmen Montiel (Republican) listed among the leading contenders; reporting indicates Menefee and Edwards advanced to a runoff and that a runoff date had not been scheduled as of the last update ^[2]. The aggregated data from Ballotpedia and election trackers frames the 18th as a plurality-to-runoff contest where intra-party competition matters as much as the general election matchup, and the sources caution that candidate slates can change with withdrawals or certification actions by local authorities ^{[2] [3]}. Official runoff scheduling and certified candidate lists remain anchored to state or county election officials for final confirmation ^[4].

3. Tennessee’s 7th and other multi-candidate contests: independents and party fractures

Tennessee’s 7th District special election is presented with a diverse mix: Aftyn Behn (Democrat) is listed alongside multiple independents and at least one Republican—Matt Van Epps—as contenders, reflecting a fragmented field where plurality outcomes or special rules could determine the winner ^[1]. The compiled sources signal that special elections often draw independent or third-party entrants who can reshape vote splits, and that official candidate manifests should be verified via state election pages; Ballotpedia-style aggregations provide a running inventory but do not replace secretary-of-state certification ^{[3] [4]}. The presence of several independents underlines how special elections can deviate from standard two-party dynamics and require careful attention to ballot access filings.

4. Source reliability and gaps: official listings vs. aggregated trackers

The materials mix official-sounding pages (state Secretary of State links referenced for Arizona and California special election pages) with aggregator repositories such as Ballotpedia and Wikipedia; Fox News/AP-style roundups appear for broader election context ^{[4] [3] [5] [2]}. Aggregators compile filings and media reports quickly but may lag official certification or primary/runoff scheduling, while state SOS pages are the ultimate legal record of candidates. Several of the provided analyses note missing direct candidate lists in particular documents and point readers to linked candidate listings or external trackers for the definitive roster ^{[4] [6]}. Users should treat aggregator pages as practical summaries and cross-check with the state-level candidate certification notices.

5. What to watch next and where to verify final ballots

Final answers about who will appear on each special-election ballot depend on state certification, runoff results, and possible late withdrawals; the provided sources emphasize the need to consult state Secretary of State candidate listings and Ballotpedia/Wikipedia race pages for near-real-time updates ^{[4] [2] [3]}. The AP/major-news overviews contextualize turnout and partisan implications but are not the legal source for candidate names ^{[5] [7]}. For any given district named above, the decisive verification step is the state or county election office’s certified candidate list and posted runoff schedules, and the compilation pages cited in the analyses are useful starting points while awaiting certification ^{[4] [1]}.