Americans Closely Watch as Adelita Grijalva Battle for Her Seat in Congress Against Mike Johnson

Author: Alexa Marchetti

On Sept. 23, Democrat Adelita Grijalva won the special election in Arizona’s 7th Congressional District, gaining 69 percent of the vote over her Republican opponent. On Oct. 14, Arizona’s secretary of state officially certified Grijalva’s election. Despite these formal mandates, House Speaker Mike Johnson has refused to administer the oath of office that would allow her to take her seat in Congress, claiming he will do so only once the House is back in session. 

Image source: Arizona Mirror - Caitlin Sievers

Path to Federal Politics 

Grijalava previously worked as a program director for a juvenile court in Pima Country and served in elected positions on local school and political boards. She made the decision to run for Arizona’s 7th Congressional District after it had been left vacant following the death of her father, Raul Grijalav, who had served in Congress for more than 20 years. 

The Epstein Files 

Adelita Grijalva would be the decisive 218th member needed to support a discharge petition initiated by Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, which seeks to force a House vote on the unreleased Epstein files. While the full contents of these documents remain sealed, existing public materials reference several high-profile figures linked to Epstein. According to The Wall Street Journal, Donald Trump himself is named in some of the unreleased records.

Democrats have alleged that Johnson is deliberately stalling Grijalva’s swearing-in to delay the release of the Epstein files. Johnson has denied these allegations, insisting that he is “following a precedent not to swear in new members during a recess,” one he claims was set by former Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. However, Johnson previously seated two Florida Republicans less than 24 hours after their special election victories, during a pro forma session, which has undermined his stated justification and fueled accusations of partisanship. 

“That is the only thing that I can point to that differentiates me from the other people that were just sworn in recently from their specials,” Grijalva said in an interview on MSNBC. 

The Erosion of Constitution RIghts 

Johnson’s refusal to swear Grijalva into Congress has sparked a broader complaint over voter disenfranchisement, with many arguing it violates Americans’ constitutional right to representation. As Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes says, “Right now, 813,000 Arizonans who live in the 7th Congressional District have no voice in the House of Representatives and that is an affront to the Constitution we hold dear. Until that error is rectified, Arizona will keep fighting.” 

In a recent interview, Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called Johnson’s refusal to swear in Grijalva “an unacceptable disgrace,” stating: “The decision to seat right-wing Republicans with record speed while denying newly elected Democrats the opportunity to serve is an unacceptable disgrace. The continued refusal to seat Representative Adelita Grijalva for partisan advantage undermines the integrity of the institution.”

The March Towards Representation 

As the political standoff drags on, frustration has continued to mount. On Oct. 14, members of the Democratic Women’s Caucus, along with several other Democratic representatives and Rep.-elect Grijalva, marched through the Capitol to Speaker Johnson’s office, chanting “swear her in!”. A week later, on Oct. 21, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, alongside Grijalva, filed a lawsuit against the House of Representatives. 

Americans now wait impatiently for the House of Representatives to reopen, watching closely as Adelita Grijalva and Arizonans continue their fight for rightful representation in Congress against Speaker Mike Johnson.