Arizona US Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva set to be sworn in after record 50-day wait

PHOENIX – U.S. Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva hopped on a redeye flight from Phoenix to Washington, D.C., to be sworn into office on Wednesday, seven weeks after a landslide victory in a special election for her late father’s seat in Congress.

Grijalva’s swearing-in ceremony at the U.S. Capitol is set for 2 p.m. Arizona time, before the House votes on a bill to end the government shutdown.

It’s expected to be among the first actions by House Speaker Mike Johnson after his chamber reconvenes.

The Tucson Democrat posted a video to her social media accounts before boarding her flight from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

Heading to DC to get sworn in tomorrow and finally get to work for the people of Arizona. pic.twitter.com/Pnlob24TEp

— Adelita Grijalva (@AdelitaForAZ) November 12, 2025

“People keep asking me how I’m feeling, and honestly, I don’t even know how to feel, really. We’ve been waiting 50 days, 5-0, for this moment to happen, and I’m just really emotional, I have to say,” she said to her supporters in the video, which was posted around midnight.

“I’m also really frustrated and upset — and frankly pissed — that my first vote is going to be one that does nothing to make health care more affordable for you.”

How Adelita Grijalva could impact release of Epstein files

Grijalva has said she will provide the final signature needed to trigger a vote on releasing the Justice Department files related to the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking case.

Johnson’s refusal to seat Grijalva until now prompted speculation he was trying to prevent that from happening.

Johnson has denied the Epstein files have anything to do with the delay.

The Epstein Files Transparency Act, co-sponsored by Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif., is supported by all Democrats and three Republicans: Reps. Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Nancy Mace of South Carolina.

Massachusetts Rep. Jim McGovern, the top Democrat on the House Rules Committee, said he expects voting on the Epstein bill to take place in early December.

When was Adelita Grijalva elected to succeed her father in Congress?

The House seat for Arizona’s 7th Congressional District has been vacant since Raúl Grijalva died on March 13 at age 77 after a lengthy battle with cancer.

Voters in the southern Arizona district overwhelmingly selected Adelita Grijalva to succeed her father in a Sept. 23 special election, when she garnered more than twice as many votes as her closest competitor.

Johnson initially said he was waiting for the results of the landslide victory to be officially canvassed on Oct. 14. He later said he wouldn’t swear Grijalva in while the House was out of session during the government shutdown, which started Oct. 1.

Grijalva’s 50-day wait is the longest in modern-day history, blowing past the previous mark of 35 days for California Democrat Jimmy Gomez after his June 2017 special election victory.

It got to the point that Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes sued Johnson over the wait last month. The case will become moot once Grijalva is seated.

The House has been out of session since Sept. 19, but there are no rules saying Grijalva couldn’t be sworn in during a pro forma session before the chamber reconvened. In fact, Johnson quickly swore in two Florida Republicans while the House was out of session after they won special elections earlier this year.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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