By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2025-03-13 22:51:32 | Updated at 2025-03-14 12:45:30
14 hours ago
Longtime Democratic Congressman Raul Grijalva passed away Thursday morning after a battle with cancer.
His office announced the 77-year-old died from complications with his cancer treatment.
Grijalva represented Arizona's Third and Seventh Congressional Districts during his long tenure in the House which began in 2003.
'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 an spirit, he worked tirelessly and accomplished so much - for Arizona and for the country,' his office said in a statement.
The statement went on to tout his work to improve the region he represented and bring new business to southern Arizona.
It also noted his work on the Natural Resources Committee which he chaired before Republicans retook the House majority in 2023.
'He was steadfast in his commitment to produce lasting change through environmental policies -- as he would say, "it's for the babies,"' the statement read.
Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Arizona) passed away on Thursday at the age of 77
But as his office announced early Thursday evening that he passed away that morning, there appeared to be some confusion.
Just over an hour before his office revealed his death, the congressman's X account put out an anti-Trump post.
'President Trump’s latest reckless decision to fire thousands of employees at the Department of Education jeopardizes critical student aid programs, weakens protections for students’ civil rights, and undermines essential support for students with disabilities,' the post Thursday afternoon read.
'This move severely threatens every child’s access to a quality education nationwide,' it continued.
The X post was sent out at 3:16pm ET. The statement announcing he had passed went out on X at 5:15pm ET.
An X post from Grijalva's account on Thursday afternoon. His office announced he passed away Thursday morning less than two hours later
Rep. Grijalva speaking at the Democratic National Convention in 2016
Grijalva was reelected to his Arizona 7th District House seat in November 2024 with more than 63 percent of the vote but announced the month before that he would not seek another term in 2026 as he underwent cancer treatment.
However, he was unable to complete his final term.
'Serving Southern Arizona was the honor of Raul M. Grijalva's life,' the statement from his office read.
His staff thanked those who partnered with Grijalva over the years as well as his family.
