Yuma Sun publishes "Meet the Candidate: Arizona's 7th Congressional District," featuring No Labels Party primary candidate Richard Grayson.

Today, Tuesday, June 17, 2025, the Yuma Sun published "Meet the Candidate: Arizona's 7th Congressional District," featuring No Labels Party primary candidate Richard Grayson.

Editor’s Note: July 15 is the spe­cial primary elec­tion to fill the U.S. House seat left vacant by the death of Rep. Raul Gri­jalva. These are some of the can­did­ates run­ning for Ari­zona’s 7th Con­gres­sional Dis­trict. These ques­tion-and-answers are part of an ongo­ing Yuma Sun series called “Meet the Can­did­ates” , with more to come.

RICHARD GRAYSON

Fam­ily: none

Edu­ca­tion: B.A., Polit­ical Sci­ence, Brook­lyn Col­lege, CUNY, 1973; M.A., Eng­lish, Col­lege of Staten Island, CUNY, 1975; M.F.A., Cre­at­ive Writ­ing, Brook­lyn Col­lege, CUNY, 1976; J.D., Uni­versity of Flor­ida Col­lege of Law, 1994

Party: No Labels write-in 

What do you feel is the most important duty of this office:

Stand­ing up to an author­it­arian pres­id­ent.

One issue on which you would focus to improve Yuma's quality of life:

I am not going to be elec­ted. If I can get one write-in vote, I will be the can­did­ate of the no Labels Party, but I couldn’t pos­sibly win this elec­tion. a demo­crat, hope­fully adel­ita Gri­jalva, will be elec­ted.

I am not going to answer a ques­tion that would make me sound as if I am delu­sional because I know I will not be elec­ted. I have never been to Yuma and I do not have a sense of Yuma.

Skills and experience that would be beneficial in your elected position:

I am hand­some and smart, but again, I can­not win.

What led to your decision to run for this office:

I have O.C.C.D., obsess­ive-com­puls­ive can­did­ate dis­order and so am com­pelled to run for polit­ical office.

What is your vis­ion and mis­sion:

My vis­ion is 20/80 without glasses. I have never been a mis­sion­ary because I don’t believe in God.

How do you plan to involve res­id­ents in your decision-mak­ing pro­cess:

I don’t. It’s not any of their busi­ness how I make decisions. If I want to eat pizza for lunch, the res­id­ents will have no say

in the mat­ter. What are the top two goals you hope to achieve while in office:

Again, I am not delu­sional. I will not be in office. My goal in the cam­paign is to get one write-in vote in the no Labels Party primary on July 15. Then I can die happy.

What are the two biggest chal­lenges facing the dis­trict and how would you alle­vi­ate them:

I’ve never set foot in the dis­trict, so I couldn’t pos­sibly answer this ques­tion.

The two biggest chal­lenges facing the U.S. are the mor­ons elec­ted as pres­id­ent and vice pres­id­ent by a mor­onic elect­or­ate.

What is one thing you want voters to know about you:

I am not the same per­son as the DC super­hero vari­ously called Robin the Boy Won­der and Nightwing.

Why should this community vote for you?

Search me.

Philadelphia Inquirer publishes article, "Both parties tried to game Alaska primary field," mentioning Senate candidate Richard Grayson

Today, Monday, November 2, 2026, the Philadelphia Inquirer published an article by Matthew Choi, "Both parties tried to game Alaska primary field," mentioning Green Party Senate candidate Richard Grayson.

Democrats in Alaska are facing public criticism and investigations for their alleged recruitment of a spoiler candidate to confuse voters in the state's highly competitive Senate race. . . But both parties engaged in horse trading and cross-aisle spending to try to game Alaska’s Senate primary system this year. Republicans invested hundreds of thousands of dollars into supporting nonviable Democratic candidates in the primary.

Two perennial candidates, Democrat Carol Hafner and Green Partier Richard Grayson, got substantial boosts in the weeks leading to the Senate primary from a super PAC that was later revealed to be wholly funded by Republicans. Hafner and Grayson were not viable candidates — neither live in Alaska and neither raised any serious sums of money.

Grayson, who has run as a candidate for numerous parties in various offices in numerous states, said in an interview that his candidacy is no more than an eccentric hobby he’s been doing since the 1970s. He said Anton McParland, Peltola’s longtime top aide, texted him early in the cycle to encourage him to withdraw. McParland did not respond to a request for comment.

“I call it performance art,” Grayson said of his numerous runs, adding that he never wanted to take votes from Peltola, whom he supports. “I do it for fun.”

The super PAC, Fair Deal Alaska, spent more than $1,600,000 combined boosting Hafner and Grayson with ads praising them as progressives in the mold of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York). The funders of the super PAC came shortly before the primary, allowing them to avoid identifying themselves until after the primary under FEC regulations...

None of the groups responded to requests for comment. Grayson and Hafner said they had no contact from national party groups.Grayson didn’t know about the ads until a friend in Anchorage told him about them. Adams, the Sullivan spokesperson, said all Sullivan joint fundraising committees were focused solely on reelecting the senator.