by Staff Reporter | Oct 11, 2025 | News
By Staff Reporter |
Representative-elect Adelita Grijalva says her district deserves representation, though she was silent on the absence of her father, the late Raúl Grijalva, from office.
The younger Grijalva has yet to be sworn in. She says Republicans are to blame for their refusal to agree to Democrats’ desired Obamacare continuations to lift the ongoing government shutdown.
“Speaker Johnson continues to make excuses but all the while southern Arizona still does not have a voice in Washington,” said Grijlava.
Senator Ruben Gallego also blamed House Speaker Mike Johnson and the rest of his Republican colleagues for Grijalva not being sworn in, claiming Johnson was telling “lies” to the public.
Contrary to Grijalva’s characterization of the situation, Grijalva can’t be sworn in because the statewide certification has yet to take place.
Grijalva’s desire to secure representation for her district is also a newfound one. She had little to say during the final years of her father’s term.
The late Grijalva missed most votes from last year and this year amid a lung cancer battle that would ultimately claim his life in March at 77 years old. The longtime Democrat had held his seat for 20 years when he announced his lung cancer diagnosis in 2023.
The late Grijalva missed nearly all votes (about 97 percent of votes) this and the last session before his passing. The only vote he took this session was for Democratic Rep. Hakeem Jeffries for House Speaker at the start of session. He defended his absence with the claim his vote wouldn’t have any impact in a Republican-controlled Congress.
“They’re inconsequential because the Republicans are in charge and it’s the worst performing Congress in decades, if not a hundred years,” said Grijalva at the time.
Tucson residents were quick to point out the successor Grijalva’s hypocrisy.
“A lung cancer diagnosis in April 2024 led Grijalva to miss most of his votes in the House of Representatives throughout the year and into 2025,” said one user. “[You] didn’t say a damn word.”
Grijalva couldn’t be sworn in sooner than next Tuesday, anyways, because that’s when the statewide canvass is scheduled.
Arizona Secretary of State and fellow Democrat Adrian Fontes issued a press release on that point. The deadline to file an election contest, also, will not occur until October 20.
Next Tuesday is also the earliest date the Senate will reconvene to possibly agree on a continuing resolution to cease the government shutdown.
Debbie Lesko, Maricopa County Supervisor and former congresswoman, reminded the public that she wasn’t sworn in until the House began its session that year, in 2018.
“[This is] what’s happening with Grijalva,” said Lesko. “The Democrats and media are making a big deal over nothing.”
Congress had its longest shutdown on record from December 2018 to January 2019. The shutdown has lasted for over a week now.
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by Matthew Holloway | Oct 9, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
On Wednesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) clashed with Arizona Democratic Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego in a heated Capitol hallway exchange over the ongoing government shutdown and the delayed swearing-in of Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ-07).
While shutdown disputes are routine, the controversy over Grijalva’s seating is not. The late Rep. Raúl Grijalva’s daughter’s election victory won’t be certified until October 14th, but this seemed lost on Sens. Kelly and Gallego.
Speaker Johnson addressed the non-issue briefly after the Senators joined Grijalva in accusing him of making “excuses.”
Johnson told them, “We’re happy that she got elected. She’s filling her father’s seat, that’s fantastic.” But he clarified, “We have a long tradition here and a process of how we administer the oath to a member. …We’re going to do that as soon as we get back to work, but we need the lights turned back on, so we encourage both of you to go open the government.”
Rep.-elect Grijalva has been posting videos to social media accusing Johnson of making “excuses” for not seating her. She has claimed that “Southern Arizona still does not have a voice in Washington” and asked her soon-to-be constituents to pressure the Speaker into opening the House just to swear her in. This comes despite a release from Arizona Secretary of State and fellow Democrat Adrian Fontes on September 23rd, which reiterated that County Canvases were due October 9th and Statewide canvass is scheduled for October 14th.
Grijalva, Kelly, and Gallego have alleged that Johnson is refusing to swear her in to prevent a vote on releasing files related to the Jeffrey Epstein case with Gallego claiming, “You guys just don’t want her to be on the Epstein discharge petition. …This is an excuse so that she doesn’t sign onto that,” according to the Washington Examiner.
Johnson was direct in rebutting him, saying, “That’s totally absurd. You guys are experts at red herrings and distractions,” using the same phrase he did to describe Democrats’ Medicaid-related talking points. “There’s nothing to do with Epstein,” he added.
Turning to reporters, the Speaker dismissed the Democrats’ accusations as “a publicity stunt” and added that he is not “blocking her.”
Referring to the matter again as “distraction” and a “red herring” speaking to News Nation on Wednesday, Johnson was dismissive and said, “This has absolutely nothing to do about Epstein, this is a scheduling matter. As soon as the Democrats vote to reopen the government, we’ll get back to the regular order and session of Congress and that’ll be, I’m sure, among our first orders of business is to administer the oath to the newly elected representative.”
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Matthew Holloway | Jul 20, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Former Pima County Supervisor and daughter of late Arizona Democratic Congressman Raúl Grijalva, Adelita Grijalva, defeated her fellow Democrats to win the 7th Congressional District nomination. Grijalva was armed with the endorsements of Democrat Socialists of America (DSA) darling Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), self-avowed socialist Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and a major ad-spend and endorsement from the Working Families Party (WFP). Both Democrat leaders and the WFP also endorsed socialist New York City Mayoral Candidate Zohran Mamdani.
As previously reported by AZ Free News, Grijalva opted to run for her late father’s congressional seat with Tucson Mayor Regina Romero declining to run in order to chair the Grijalva campaign.
“At a time when Trump, Musk, and their billionaire gang are attacking our democracy and ripping off the working class, we need leaders who have the backbone to take them on,” Sanders said in a statement in April. “That’s why I’m proud to endorse Adelita Grijalva for Congress. Adelita understands that real change never comes from the top down, it comes from the bottom up.”
Described as Sanders’ “Progressive Protégé,” by the Maricopa County Republican Committee, Grijalva also proudly boasted of her endorsement by Democratic Socialists of America member Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Grijalva also enjoys the endorsement of the openly socialist WFP with Maurice Mitchell, National Director of the Working Families Party, saying Tuesday, “Adelita’s victory tonight isn’t just a win for families in Southern Arizona. It’s a win for all those who believe in a government that works for everyday people. Voters are tired of politicians who hide in the pockets of their billionaire donors. We know that Adelita is going to be a fearless fighter for working families in her district.”
According to the WFP website, the party spent significantly on ads in the CD7 race, writing “The Party was a significant force in the race, spending $221,000 on several ads for TV, digital, and sending thousands of texts to voters. Along with our union and grassroots partners, we knocked on more than 90,000 doors and sent two direct mail pieces to likely voters in the district.”
The party also credited itself with the victories of Zohran Mamdani as well as Mayoral races in Buffalo, Syracuse, and Albany. WFP has historically supported members of ‘The Squad,’ the most radical leftists in Congress, including Reps. Ayanna Pressley, Rashida Tlaib, and Jamaal Bowman. Grijalva will face Republican candidate Daniel Butierez in a Special Election on September 23rd.
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Matthew Holloway | Apr 1, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Democrat Pima County Supervisor Adelita Grijalva, daughter of late-Congressman Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ-07) has announced that she will resign from her County Office effective April 4th and enter the primary race for her father’s seat. Declining to run for the 7th District seat herself, Tucson Mayor Regina Romero will chair Grijalva’s campaign.
In a press release issued Monday, the Pima County Supervisor indicated that her decision largely comes from a desire to oppose the agenda of President Donald Trump, maligning X owner Elon Musk in his capacity as a special government employee as leading a “gang of billionaires […] destroying our nation.”
Grijalva said in her full statement:
“I am running for Congress because Southern Arizona deserves bold leadership that will fight for working families and stand up to Donald Trump.
“Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and their gang of billionaires are destroying our nation. They’re destroying our schools. They’re attacking our most sacred rights. They’re poisoning our environment. But together, we will stop them. This fight starts right here, right now, in southern Arizona.
“I’ve spent my life as an advocate, fighting for the brighter future we all deserve – from 20 years on the Tucson Unified School District Governing Board where I strengthened public education for all children, to the Pima County Board of Supervisors where I spearheaded investments in affordable housing and childcare, and protected our beautiful Sonoran desert. In Congress, I will work to create opportunities to help all our families achieve their American Dream – no matter who you are, where you come from, or where you live.”
Speaking with AZ Luminaria, Grijalva said, “We’re not living in normal times,” and accused the Trump administration of “dismantling our entire democracy.” The outlet reported that Grijalva will be launching a listening tour later this week with a stop in Yuma and a focus on talking “to people who have lived experience that I don’t have.”
As noted by the outlet, Grijalva will face off in the Democratic primary against former AZ State Representative Daniel Hernandez, in addition to a dozen other candidates.
Ten Republicans have reportedly filed statements of interest in the Congressional seat with Daniel Butierez, Rep. Grijalva’s 2024 opponent considered the leading GOP Primary contender. According to The Cook Political Report, District 7 is well-established as Democrat held with a rating of D+15. The late Congressman Grijalva was elected to the House of Representatives in 2003 and held his seat for over twenty years despite redistricting in 2013. In the 2024 election, Grijalva defeated Butierez by a 26.8% margin.
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Matthew Holloway | Mar 30, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes announced in a social media post on Wednesday that he will not be running to replace the late Democrat Congressman Raúl Grijalva in the 7th Congressional District. Instead Fontes will seek to defend his seat as Arizona’s top election official in the 2026 mid-term election.
In his remarks, posted to X, Fontes referred to a “rising tide of fascism sweeping this nation,” as his primary motivation for the decision. Fontes cited President Donald Trump’s Executive Order “Preserving And Protecting The Integrity Of American Elections,” and claimed that through this action the “president is laying the groundwork to cancel elections in 2026.”
Fontes gave no explanation or description of how requiring voter identification, preventing non-citizens from voting, cooperation between the state and federal governments to maintain voter roll integrity, requiring states only count ballots received on or by election day, and improving the security of voting systems could possibly accomplish this end.
Fontes wrote:
“I have considered the pros and cons of running for congress. It is clear to me that our party must fight harder and stand up to the rising tide of fascism sweeping this nation.
“With this week’s executive order from the Trump Administration, I firmly believe the president is laying the groundwork to cancel elections in 2026.
“After careful thought and reflection, I have decided that for family, for country, and for democracy, I will continue to defend America as Arizona’s secretary of state.”
As reported by KJZZ, Fontes claimed that the Executive Order, “is in my view an attempt to erode confidence so much that he [Trump] will be able to declare some kind of emergency or something and potentially just cancel the elections in 2026. I don’t think that is beyond what this administration is capable of.”
In a subsequent interview with Scripps, Fontes proceeded to double-down, telling Elizabeth Landers that were DOGE to come for any of Arizona’s voter rolls or information, as required under the Executive Order, he “would tell them to go to hell.”
He also announced that a formal campaign announcement for Secretary of State will be forthcoming.
Several commenters to Fontes’ post on X disagreed with his characterization of his decision, instead positing that the late-Rep. Grijalva’s daughter Adelita Grijalva is the likely frontrunner.
Former Arizona State Representative Daniel Hernandez Jr. has already announced his candidacy for the seat as well with at least seven statements of interest filed for the race so far.
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
