Recently elected Rep. Adelita Grijalva from Arizona’s 7th Congressional District is already making history without ever setting foot in the Capitol. Grijalva is currently the latest official to be officially sworn in as a member of the House of Representatives, 41 days later.
He was elected by a 2-1 margin against his Republican opponent in a special election held on September 23, following the death of his father, Raul Grijalva, who represented the district from 2003 to early 2025. The district includes much of southern Arizona’s border with Mexico.
Despite being elected more than 40 days ago, Grijalva has not been given the opportunity to begin representing Arizona in the House of Representatives.
The House speaker, Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana, has offered several explanations for the swearing-in delay in Grijalva, from waiting until all votes are certified in the special election (even though Republicans who win special elections don’t have to wait) to insisting the House needs to return from recess (despite precedent that new members are typically sworn in the day after the election, regardless of whether the House is in session). Prime Minister Boris Johnson recently said Grijalva would not take office until the government reopens.
The Washington Blade spoke with Grijalva to discuss the historic delay in taking the oath, the importance of protecting transgender rights, book bans, environmental issues, and more.
While House Speaker Johnson has offered many explanations for the delays, Grijalva said one that stands out among others is the Epstein file. She ran on a promise to sign an expulsion petition to force the release of the full Epstein file on the ballot. The file is a hypothetical document containing the names of major clients of American financier and convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein who trafficked girls. If she signs the petition, she will be 218th, the minimum number needed to force a vote.
“I have now broken all records for speech interference. No one else has waited this long just to represent their constituents…I have never received any direct communication from his office,” Grijalva said of House Speaker Johnson’s failure to explain the reason for the delay. “It seems like they’re doing everything they can to prevent the Epstein files from being released, but I don’t know what else they can think of.”
She added that Johnson’s obstruction was not just her problem, but the people she was elected to serve.
“We have 812,000 people living here in the 7th District, and my problem is there’s too much we can’t do,” she said. “So when Speaker Johnson has little side comments about what I should or shouldn’t do, it’s like, ‘I’m doing what I’m supposed to do, so why aren’t you doing your job?'”
For Grijalva, the issue is not partisan, but one of principle. “My political party shouldn’t matter. I won the election fairly and legally. There is no reason why voters should be punished just because the speaker doesn’t like the positions I stand for,” she said.
She also pointed out the irony that her call for transparency regarding the Epstein file is the same one Donald Trump himself made during his presidential campaign.
“Mr. Trump said on his first day, ‘We’re going to release these files.’ And I think he probably took office, looked at what was in the files, and said, ‘Maybe we’ll wait for that,'” she explained. “I feel that’s what’s happening right now. They’re trying to delay and distract from something that makes a lot of people in power look bad.”
Still, Grijalva said not all Republicans support the decision to block Johnson from taking the oath of office. “Some Republicans are saying, ‘Yes, she should be sworn in. This is crazy,'” he said. I appreciate that, but it shouldn’t be a problem for my party. I have to take an oath. I think some on their side know this is going too far. ”
Grijalva said the consequences of Congressional inaction are becoming increasingly dire for ordinary Americans as the government shutdown drags on.
“The people who are really suffering are the federal workers who don’t know when they’re going to get their next paycheck or how they’re going to support their families — the people who receive federal aid or SNAP benefits,” she said. “These are the real consequences of their political gamesmanship.”
Her dissatisfaction with the Epstein file remains. Grijalva said accountability and transparency must take precedence over politics.
“I don’t care who is involved. I don’t care what political party they are. If you commit a crime, if you rape a child or a woman, you deserve legal accountability. Survivors should be given transparency and justice so they can begin to heal.”
Beyond political responsibility, Grijalva also stressed the urgent need to address environmental degradation, especially the crisis closer to home.
“Trump doesn’t care about our environment. He’ll do it if he can make a dime, and he doesn’t care about the long-term effects on the people who have to live with the real harm,” she said.
The Trump-Vance administration has rolled back a number of Biden-era environmental policies, from withdrawing the U.S. from the Paris climate accord to relaxing pollution standards and expanding fossil fuel drilling. For Grijalva, these choices have real human consequences.
“My father lived on Superfund land and drank poisoned water for 15 years. Because of that, cancer is now part of our family. These policies hurt real people, not abstractions.”
Her father, the late Raul Grijalva, died of lung cancer earlier this year. The Environmental Working Group estimates that between 100,000 and 122,000 cancer cases in the United States can be traced to contaminated water, and Grijalva said her family understands that.
She also pointed out how allowing environmental damage by repealing laws meant to protect natural resources threatens Arizona’s economy and identity.
“Arizona is an ecotourism hotspot. There are thousands of jobs related to protecting our land. Once you destroy it, you can’t put it back together,” she said. “Mining laws are so old that you won’t even get any revenue for years. It’s like someone digging in your backyard, taking your gold, and telling you to buy it back later.”
“When people say protecting the environment is not a priority, I just think of my father and the state,” she added. “We don’t risk people’s health for a quick profit.”
Turning the conversation to social issues, Grijalva spoke at length about protecting transgender rights as many, especially on the right, continue to demonize the community.
“Transgender rights are human rights, that’s all,” she said flatly. “When I say I speak up for those who feel they don’t have a voice, I mean everyone, especially those who are marginalized.”
She did not hesitate to criticize party members who, in her opinion, were not doing enough. “It’s unfortunate that some Democrats are choosing to remain silent when entire communities are being attacked,” she said. “Maybe they don’t know what it’s like to be targeted, but once they know, they stand up for those who need more help.”
“I believe that gender-affirming care is life-saving care,” she continued. “We must push back against these anti-LGBTQ laws and fight for the Equality Act because the federal government has a responsibility to protect people, not erase them.”
“Who you love or who you are is none of the government’s business,” she added. “You should have the autonomy to be who you want to be. That’s America.”
He also spoke passionately about the growing movement to ban books and target libraries. She called this “something very personal.”
“I’m not just a wife, I’m a librarian’s daughter and sister,” Grijalva said with a laugh. “So if I’m not an advocate for libraries, I’m in big trouble. There should be no banned books. For students who don’t have support at home, these stories are a lifeline.”
She recalled a conversation that highlighted her frustration with the movement. “A woman showed me a book and said, ‘Do you think children should read this?’ I said, ‘Is that picture anatomically inaccurate?’ I mean, if they’re right, why bother? ” Truth and reality should not be policed just because it makes some adults uncomfortable. ”
For Grijalva, public service has always been personal. She was elected to the Tucson Unified School District Board of Supervisors in 2002 as the youngest woman in history and served in that role for 20 years, making her one of the longest-serving board members in history.
“I have been an elected official for 22 years,” she recalled. “People in high school say I’m the same person, and that’s what I want. I don’t want my environment to change me, I change my environment.”
“At the end of the day, you always have to look the kids in the eye,” she added. “If I have to overexplain my vote, I’m wrong. That’s the standard I hold myself to.”
Grijalva said he remains focused on the people he was elected to serve, despite the uncertainty caused by delays in swearing-in.
“The privilege of speaking on behalf of 812,000 people is both overwhelming and an honor,” she said. “I’m excited to take the oath and finally begin the work the community sent me to do.”
Source: Washington Blade: LGBTQ News, Politics, LGBTQ Rights, Gay News – www.washingtonblade.com
