“This Is Personal” — CD7 Candidate Daniel Butierez Loses Sister While Fighting Tucson’s Homelessness and Addiction Crisis
His sister was hit in her wheelchair while crossing the street, Butierez loss will only strengthened his resolve to spotlight Tucson’s problems through his viral videos
Arizona’s political landscape is often marked by sharp divisions, but for Congressional District 7 candidate Daniel Butierez, the issues of homelessness and addiction have never been political—only urgent. The Republican candidate, who ran in both the 2024 cycle and the 2025 special election, has long stated that his commitment to addressing these crises comes directly from personal experience.
In recent weeks, that experience took a devastating turn.
A Public Life Interrupted by Private Grief
In a series of publicly available posts on his campaign Facebook page, Butierez informed supporters that his younger sister, whom he refers to as Cathy, had passed away. Earlier posts revealed that she had struggled with addiction and homelessness, a reality he had spotlighted about the Tucson community repeatedly during his campaigns.
Catherine Spear, the sister of Butierez, was struck by a vehicle at the Orange Grove and La Cholla intersection in Tucson. Spear, who uses a wheelchair, was hit by a driver who remained at the scene. The incident is under active investigation. Butierez and several local residents say the intersection has long been hazardous, particularly for disabled pedestrians, and are urging officials to address long-standing safety concerns.
Butierez has consistently framed homelessness as the centerpiece of his policy agenda. This was true in his 2024 run against the late Rep. Raúl Grijalva and again in his 2025 special election campaign, where he won the Republican primary before losing the September general election to Democrat Adelita Grijalva.
His messaging on homelessness predates his sister’s death and appears intertwined with his family’s struggles. In an earlier campaign post, he wrote:
“My passion is to help the homeless… I’m running because I am the person who can help our homeless.”
He went further, engaging directly with residents and asking them to point out areas most impacted by homelessness:
“What areas do you need me to come see… that you’re having homeless issues?”
These posts were not merely campaign positioning. They reflect a pattern: Butierez ties public policy to lived experience. His sister’s death, underscores the gravity of that connection.
A Candidate Defined by Transparency
Butierez’s Facebook page has been unusually personal for a congressional candidate. He shared milestones, frustrations, and updates in real time, often discussing addiction and homelessness without political spin.
His posts about Cathy similarly offered a window into the human side of issues that often get reduced to talking points.
Photo Credit: Butierez for Congress on X
Friends and supporters expressed condolences across multiple comment threads. No formal press release or campaign statement has been issued regarding his sister’s passing. State 48 News spoke to Butierez and received permission to run this story and photos.
Butierez’s approach to homelessness stands out in a district where debates about border policy, housing scarcity, and drug trafficking intersect. CD7 includes some of the state’s most economically challenged neighborhoods—areas where fentanyl use, untreated mental illness, and street homelessness are common and growing concerns.
His critics often dismissed his platform and campaign efforts. His supporters argued that real leadership begins with lived experience.
Butierez made that case himself:
“I come from this life. I know these people. I understand what they are going through.”
His family’s struggles, including his sister’s addiction and homelessness, formed another link in the “lived experiences.”
Where He Goes From Here
In the weeks prior weeks after his loss in the election, Butierez had published several viral clips exposing the drug and homeless epidemic. His most recent posts have focused on gratitude toward his supporters and reflections on family since his sister’s fatal accident.
But the through-line in his messaging is unmistakable: for him, homelessness and addiction are not distant political issues—they are personal losses, family realities, and the reason he entered the race in the first place.
Whatever his next steps, the passing of his sister adds a new layer of urgency to the problems he has spent years trying to elevate in Arizona politics.
The following is a complitation of some of Butierez’s viral videos. He can be found on Facebook at Butierez for Congress.