Democratic Rep. Raul Grijalva dies after battle with cancer

He had served the House since 2003.

Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., has died, his office confirmed Tuesday.

Grijalva had served in the House since 2003 and was a former co-chair of the House Progressive Caucus. He also led the House Natural Resources Committee for Democrats from 2015 until 2025, including four years as chairman.

House Natural Resources Chairman Raul Grijalva speaks at a news conference Mar. 28, 2022.

Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Cal via Getty Images

“Serving Southern Arizona was the honor of Raúl M. Grijalva’s life,” his office said in a statement confirming his death. “Having represented our communities for over 50 years was a privilege. We thank all of you for the trust, support, and the partnership that you gave to Rep. Grijalva over the years. We are especially grateful to Rep. Grijalva’s family for their friendship and keeping it ‘all about the love.'”

His death creates a new vacancy in the House, leaving Democrats with 213 members and Republicans with 218. The simple majority is now 216.

Grijalva is the second House Democrat in the last eight days who has died. Rep. Sylvester Turner, D-Texas, died on Wednesday, March 5, the morning after President Donald Trump’s address to Congress.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., now has a two-vote cushion for his majority.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *