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.