Arizona Representative-elect Adelita Grijalva has yet to be sworn into Congress, three weeks after winning a special election, with approximately 69-70% of the vote.
Grijalva, a Democrat and former Tucson Unified School District board member, served 20 years (2002-2022) on the TUSD Governing Board. She also served on the Pima County Board of Supervisors (2020-2025). She won the September 23 special election to fill the vacancy left by the death of Representative Raúl Grijalva, her father. Despite Grijalva’s victory, she has not been administered the oath of office.
In April 2025, Speaker Johnson swore in Republican Representatives Jimmy Patronis and Randy Fine from Florida during a pro forma session less than 24 hours after their special elections.
At the center of the controversy is a discharge petition that would compel a House vote to publicly release unredacted federal documents related to Epstein, the convicted sex offender whose extensive network of associates has continued to draw scrutiny.
The petition currently has 217 signatures — one short of the 218 needed to move it to the floor without the Speaker’s approval. Grijalva’s signature would provide the decisive vote.
Republicans close to Speaker Johnson, however, dispute claims of intentional delay. A senior GOP aide said the hold-up stems from “routine procedural certification reviews” and not political calculations.
In July 2025, Johnson adjourned the House two days earlier than scheduled, cutting short legislative activity to prevent Democrats and a small group of Republicans from forcing votes on a resolution requiring the Justice Department to release Epstein-related files.
In late September, Johnson canceled scheduled votes on September 29 and 30, days before Arizona’s special election to fill Raúl Grijalva’s former seat.
If Grijalva is sworn in and the discharge petition succeeds, the House would be forced to consider a bill mandating the Department of Justice to release the Epstein files within 30 days, with limited redactions for national security purposes.
As of Friday evening, no date has been set for Grijalva’s swearing-in.
