Democratic Representative Raúl Grijalva of Arizona passed away on Thursday morning at the age of 77 after a battle with cancer.
In an official statement, his office confirmed his passing, saying, “The Office of the 7th District of Arizona is saddened to announce the passing of Congressman Raúl M. Grijalva. Rep. Grijalva fought a long and brave battle. He passed away this morning due to complications from his cancer treatments.”
Grijalva, who was first elected to Congress in 2002, was a well-known figure in Democratic politics, particularly for his leadership on environmental and Native American issues. During his tenure, he held key positions on the House Natural Resources Committee, including serving as both chair and ranking member.
With Grijalva’s passing, a special election will be required to fill the vacancy, though details on the process and timeline have not yet been announced.
Despite his death, Grijalva’s congressional office continued its political messaging, issuing a statement on social media shortly after his passing that criticized President Donald Trump’s decision to lay off thousands of employees from the Department of Education.
The post read:
“President Trump’s latest reckless decision to fire thousands of employees at the Department of Education jeopardizes critical