Tucson’s Raúl Grijalva dies at 77, leaving a legacy of service, action. And a big personality.

Congressman Raúl Grijalva, Tucson’s leading political statesman who mentored a generation of leaders across Southern Arizona, died Thursday morning from cancer treatment complications. He was 77 years old.

His death was announced in a news release from his office.

Grijalva, who represented Arizona’s District 7 in the U.S. House of Representatives, announced his lung cancer diagnosis in early April 2024.

“Grijalva fought a long and brave battle,” the release said. “More than two decades ago, Rep. Grijalva embarked on a journey to be a voice for Southern Arizonans in Washington, D.C. Driven by his community values and spirit, he worked tirelessly and accomplished so much — for Arizona and for the country.”

He continued his congressional duties while undergoing treatment, last voting “present” in the year’s first legislative session in January of this year.

But his voting record shows his illness took a toll. Between Feb. 28, 2024 and March 11, 2025 he missed 98% of 534 roll call votes , according to GovTrack.us, an open government group that tracks legislative activity.

Grijalva was born in Tucson, graduated from Sunnyside High School, earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology at the University of Arizona and became director of El Pueblo Neighborhood Center. His father was a migrant farmworker who came from México under the Bracero Program.

He was a longtime advocate for immigrant rights through activism and legislation. In recent years he expressed frustration at the lack of progress on immigration reform.

“It’s a painful acknowledgement on my part: This has been, in my career in Congress, one of the most vexing, difficult and politically charged issues that I deal with,” Grijalva said in a speech in Tucson in 2023.

A progressive Democrat, he had represented Southern Arizona in the House since 2003. His political career began with 13 years of service on the Tucson Unified School District school board in the 1970s and ’80s. He served as a Pima County supervisor for 14 years and helped launch the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan.

With his wife Ramona, Grijalva had three daughters, including Pima County Supervisor Adelita Grijalva.

Grijalva had a big personality in Tucson politics and often wore bolo ties, sweater vests and silver and turquoise cuff bracelets. His campaign committee was called A Whole Lot of People For Grijalva and his campaign signs featured a graphic version of his signature mustache. He was also known to be a doodler in meetings and politicos prize his little drawings on letterhead.

What happens in District 7?

Grijalva represented the second largest congressional district in Arizona: It is anchored in Tucson, spanning Southern Arizona from San Luis and Somerton to Nogales to Bisbee to Douglas up to Avondale and Tolleson. The district also includes four sovereign tribal nations: the Cocopah, Pascua Yaqui, Quechan, and Tohono O’odham. Grijalva kept the nations’ flags in his office in Washington D.C.

Grijalva’s death leaves an empty congressional seat which will be filled through a special election, according to federal law .

With more than six months until the next general election, Gov. Katie Hobbs is tasked with calling the special election, according to state law . Hobbs must call a special primary election “within seventy-two hours after the office is officially declared vacant.”  A special general election must follow between 70 and 80 days after the special primary election.”

The person elected will serve through 2026.

Reactions from Tucson and around the U.S.

Arizona Gov. Hobbs called Grijalva a true champion and advocate for Arizona’s most vulnerable communities and praised his nearly two-decade career in Congress.

“To his last day, he remained a servant leader who put everyday people first while in office,” Hobbs said in a statement. “I join every Arizonan in mourning his passing. May he rest in peace.”

As the longest-serving elected official from Arizona in Congress, Grijalva served as Dean of the state’s 11-member congressional delegation.

Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords released a statement Thursday saying she and her husband, Sen. Mark Kelly, were devastated by the news of Grijalva’s passing.

“When I was first elected to Congress, Raúl showed me the ropes, and helped me navigate Washington. Throughout the years, and after I was shot, his friendship and wisdom were a constant source of support,” Giffords wrote, sharing her condolences for the departed congressman’s family. “Raúl loved Arizona and its people, and always fought to protect them and our state’s natural resources. Raúl could and did talk to anyone, with empathy and genuine interest in the people he served. Our country and Arizona are better for it.”

Arizona’s U.S. Sen. Ruben Gallego praised Grijalva for his dedication and leadership on environmental and tribal issues.

“As another Latino working in public service, I can say from experience that he served as a role model to many young people across the Grand Canyon State. He spent his life as a voice for equality,” Gallego said in a statement.

Republican Rep. Juan Ciscomani, who also represents Southern Arizona, said the state had lost a dedicated public servant.

“Raúl was a fearless champion of the causes he believed in and he never forgot where he came from,” Ciscomani said. “While we often disagreed about public policy, he welcomed me into our congressional delegation warmly and always treated me with respect and dignity.”

Tucson Mayor Regina Romero highlighted Grijalva’s lifetime of service and focus on improving the lives of people in Tucson and Southern Arizona.

“Because of Representative Grijalva, we have cleaner water and air, more rights for ourselves and our children, and many more public lands protected,” Romero said.

“Whether he was speaking at a neighborhood event, marching for civil rights, speaking against the erosion of our democratic values or joking with us in the backyard, he led with his principles and courage.”

Navajo Nation President Buu Nyugren responded to Grijalva’s death over social media, highlighting his work supporting tribal communities in Arizona.

“Even while battling cancer, Rep. Grijalva remained a steadfast advocate for our tribal nations, the state of Arizona, and the broader Southwest. His leadership was unwavering,” he wrote in a Facebook post .

He wrote about Grijalva’s role in protecting sacred lands specifically citing his advocacy for the Grand Canyon and co-sponsorship of the Northeastern Arizona Indian Water Rights Settlement Agreement.

“He was a champion who answered the call of those who had often been overlooked and unheard. In a world where such calls can be easy to ignore, Rep. Grijalva was always there to lift those voices,” he said.

Peter Yucupicio, the vice chairman for the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, followed Grijalva’s rise from the school district to the halls of Congress, where he played a consequential role for tribal communities around the country.

“I saw many tribes go into his office there and ask for help, whether it was Indian Health Service funds, education funds, everything. During COVID he was instrumental in making sure that Native American communities survived the biggest pandemic at the time and the world,” Yucupicio said.

Former Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild added that he could rely on Grijalva to fight to secure funding for priorities like housing and transportation.

“He was the guy that we could always go to to have access to others in Washington who could help us,” he said.

TUSD, where Grijalva served as board member in his early political career, reacted to the news on X posting pictures of his time with the district.

“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Congressman Raúl Grijalva, a former TUSD Governing Board member and champion for education. His legacy of service and equity will forever impact our community. Our thoughts are with his loved ones.”

Phoenix-area Rep. Greg Stanton said Grijalva would be remembered as one of the most consequential leaders in Arizona’s political history.

“Raúl never lost sight of the values he learned as a young community organizer, tirelessly advocating for immigrant families, education and social justice. But perhaps his biggest accomplishment is his mentorship of a generation of young people in Southern Arizona,” Stanton said.

Other Republicans from Arizona’s congressional delegation also offered their sympathies.

“He had a great sense of humor,” Rep. David Schweikert posted on X. “As a fellow animal lover, we often found ourselves working together on animal protection issues.”

Rep. Andy Biggs also posted on X that “Arizona lost a friend today.”

Fellow progressive and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders responded to the news and lauded Grijalva in an X post .

“I mourn the death of Rep. Raúl Grijalva, a former colleague of mine and one of the most progressive members of the U.S. House. Raúl was a fighter for working families throughout his entire life. He will be sorely missed,” he wrote.

Grijlava was the first member of congress to endorse Sanders’ presidential campaign in 2015.

New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio Cortez called Grijalva’s death “a genuinely devastating loss” in an X post shortly after the announcement.

“Raúl Grijalva stood as one of the biggest champions for working people in all of Congress,” she wrote.

Here’s what happens when two Southern Arizona Latino congressmen – Grijalva and Ciscomani – on opposite sides of political aisle share a stage

Each of the U.S. congressmen, Raúl Grijalva and Juan Ciscomani, represents the district where he grew up in Southern Arizona. Perhaps based on appearances, it…

Making political history

Grijalva was a longtime member of the far-left progressive caucus and a member of the education committee and the natural resources committee, where he often championed environmental causes.

He was also a political agitator.

• In 2016 he used some of his campaign money to print and distribute posters depicting a bright orange Donald Trump with the words “Dump Trump. The Chicano version said “Chale Con Trump.”
• In 2013 he was arrested at a protest about immigration reform at the Capitol, and then he was arrested again in 2015 while protesting outside Trump Tower in New York City.
• In 2010 he took heat for suggesting people should boycott Arizona after the state legislature passed SB1070, a controversial immigration law.
• In 2007, Grijalva voted against additional funding for the war in Iraq, and frequently called for the withdrawal of U.S. troops long before it became the consensus in Washington.

In 2015, a female staff member accused Grijalva of drunkenness and a “hostile workplace environment” and Grijalva settled the complaint the same year. The House Ethics Committee cleared Grijalva of any wrongdoing in connection with the settlement .

Among legislation he sponsored is the 2014 Pascua Yaqui Tribe Trust Land Act, which allows tribally owned lands to be placed into a trust on behalf of the tribe.

The National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers called Grijalva a “tireless champion” of tribal efforts to protect natural resources, including Oak Flat, an area sacred to the San Carlos Apache Tribe and under threat from mining interests.

“We will always consider him one of the staunchest allies to the Indigenous preservation community,” the group wrote in a statement on Facebook.

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