Longtime Arizona Democratic Rep. Raúl Grijalva has died from cancer

PHOENIX — Arizona Rep. Raúl Grijalva has passed away, according to a Thursday news release from his office.

Grijalva fought a long and brave battle with cancer after his diagnosis in early 2024, according to the release.

However, he passed away on Thursday morning due to complications of his cancer treatments.

Arizona Democrat Raúl Grijalva had long history of public service

Grijalva was first elected to the U.S. House in 2002 and has served there for 11 terms.

He represented Arizona’s 7th Congressional District, which spans most of the Arizona-Mexico border and includes sections of Cochise, Maricopa, Pinal, Santa Cruz and Yuma counties.

He previously announced that he wouldn’t run again in 2026.

After Raúl Grijalva, who will represent his district?

State law mandates that if a U.S. House vacancy occurs and the next general election won’t be held within six months, the governor will have to call a special primary election and special general election to fill the vacancy for the rest of the term within 72 hours.

“Those deadlines will apply here as well,” Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes told KTAR News 92.3 FM on Thursday. “The first thing that’s going to happen is we’re going to do that calculation in conjunction with the Governor’s Office. Those folks are working on it right now.”

Voters who live in the district Raúl Grijalva represented can expect a quick process, he added.

“This is going to be a relatively quick turnaround,” Fontes said. “It should be pretty, pretty quick, actually.”

Raúl Grijalva wanted to set future generations up for success

The announcement from Grijalva’s office included a quote from the late representative, who wanted to encourage Americans to work together and look to the future.

“We cannot back down from addressing the urgency of the climate crisis. We cannot leave the poor to fend for themselves against burgeoning corporate greed. We cannot allow our education, health care, and social security to be sold out so the rich can get richer,” Grijalva said. “We must treat each other with dignity and respect, as neighbors, not enemies.”

He also said Americans should think about benefitting future generations.

“We must give every child the opportunity to succeed,” Grijalva said. “And in times of great uncertainty, when we are looking for guidance, we must always remember that the will of the people is the greatest leader, not the leader who imposes his will.”

KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Heidi Hommel contributed to this report.

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