Rep. Adelita Grijalva sworn in after Johnson keeps seat vacant for seven weeks

Rep. Adelita Grijalva was sworn in on Nov. 12, 2025, seven weeks after winning a special election on Sept. 23, 2025. She won the seat to replace her father, Rep. RGRaúl Grijalva, who died in Mar. 2025. The seat was vacant for seven months from her father's death until her swearing-in.

Speaker Mike Johnson kept the House in recess during the government shutdown and refused to seat Grijalva during pro forma sessions. Democrats demanded he seat her immediately but Johnson declined. 🌵Arizona Attorney General KMKris Mayes sued the House of Representatives over the delay.

Grijalva was sworn in just before the House voted on government funding. She became the 218th signature on the discharge petition to force a vote releasing Epstein files. The discharge petition needed 218 signatures to succeed. Johnson's delay was widely interpreted as an attempt to prevent her from signing.

After being sworn in, the GOP majority shrunk to 219-214. Grijalva told CNN she would confront Johnson about the delay, saying This kind of obstruction cannot happen again. She called the seven-week delay unprecedented and harmful to her constituents.

🌵Arizona's 7th District went unrepresented in the House for seven months. Constituents couldn't access normal congressional services during that time. The district includes parts of Phoenix and extends to the Arizona-Mexico border. Grijalva's father represented the district for over 20 years.