Congressman Grijalva Says Next Term Will Be His Last

grijalva
Rep. Grijalva [Photo via Committee on Natural Resources Youtube channel]

Jackson Sutter

Tucson Congressman Raúl Grijalva, diagnosed with cancer early this year and absent from the U.S. Capitol since February, says his next term will be his last.

He’s seeking a 12th term next month and on Monday, the 76-year-old Democrat told KOLD-TV in Tucson that he won’t run again after that.

“Not that I’m abandoning what I do now. It’s time for someone else. It’s time for someone younger,” he said.

Congressional records show that Grijalva hasn’t cast a vote in the House since Feb. 15. He’s missed more than 300 votes since then but told KOLD that it could have been worse.

“They’re inconsequential because the Republicans are in charge and it’s the worst performing Congress in decades, if not a hundred years,” he told KOLD.

Monday’s interview was his first since the cancer diagnosis.

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In response to inquiries in recent weeks from Cronkite News, aides said Grijalva has been on the mend and was tending to his official duties from Arizona.

“Rep. Grijalva recently completed his chemotherapy and is pleased to report that he has responded very well to treatment. He is following the guidance of his medical team to limit travel, and he continues to work to serve his constituents and the district he proudly represents,” said spokesman Jason Johnson.

Elected in 2002, Grijalva has served in Congress longer than any other Arizona lawmaker. He’s the senior Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee and in line to become chair if Democrats retake the majority.

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In July, he became the second Democrat in Congress to call for President Joe Biden to drop his reelection bid.

“At first, the reaction was bad, bad in the sense of ‘what are you doing to the party,’ and then when it started to turn around, then it became some clairvoyant, I knew what was going to happen,” said Grijalva to KOLD-TV.

Although he hasn’t returned to Washington in months, he has conducted some public business.

During the August recess, he met with Interior Secretary Deb Haaland in Arizona. His office and the committee Democrats have issued numerous statements in his name.

“Beyond his engagement on the committee’s legislative and oversight activities, Ranking Member Grijalva remains a leading voice on key issues, including climate change, environmental justice, tribal sovereignty and consultation, decolonization of U.S. insular areas, and the ongoing ‘permitting reform’ debate in Congress,” said a committee aide, Lindsay Gressard.

Grijalva holds a safe Democratic seat and his prolonged absence isn’t expected to keep him from winning reelection.

But his opponent has accused him of being AWOL, and speculated that his condition has been far worse than he’s revealed.

“He should have come out and been honest with the constituents. He hasn’t represented or voted since February, and I do not believe he’s ever going to vote again,” said Republican Daniel Butierez.

Grijalva’s district runs from Tucson to Yuma. It covers most of the Arizona border with Mexico.

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11 Comments

  1. Mr. Grijavelina is known to many as a lush and reprobate. If he had any honor, he’d slither off into the desert before the election and let the voters determine his successor. But I’m not holding my breath.
    I urge all voters to support Mr. Butierez November 5. I am tired of AZ Dist. 7 being the laughing stock of the Arizona Congressional delegation

  2. I find it interesting for all the power & seniority he got in Congress….HE NEVER BROUGHT HOME THE BACON. Maybe in the last analysis, they realized he couldn’t do much more than provide lip-service to poor Latinos (he made ’em poorer) and clueless enviros (more lip-service). The guy just couldn’t deliver. Nobody was going to give the Dims a nickel $$$ because Raul told ’em to, except govt-unions (BFD). LOL.

  3. Does anyone know if he has cartel support? It’s hard for me to believe he’s winning elections without some help.

  4. Must be nice, this POS has lived off the public teat all his life. He has done untold damage to Tucson and Pima county with his liberal stand and love for all ILLEGALS that flood the system in AZ. And yet, the idiots in his district keep electing him and he makes sure that his constituents are dumb and on the government dole which is the liberals game plan from day one. This is the way he keeps them in his tent. You know the free stuff and government handouts……The rest of the county gets what? Screwed by his idiot savant minions like his daughter Adelita that helped to destroy TUSD and now is working her same magic on Pima County as a member of the BOS. And then you have the current idiot mayor of the COT Regina Romero who is as stupid as Raul is and all one needs to do is look at the COT to see her handywork. The eighth poorest metro area of the country and damn proud of it. Sure glad I moved in 2018 to get away from all the liberal idiots that want the area to be the next Portland and treat the taxpayers like a piece of crap. Hey all you Tucson liberals, when you going to learn? Never I guess. So, go ahead and elect the “Toad” for one more term and then he will make sure that Hobbs appoints his daughter as his successor. And the liberal Grijalva beat will roll on in Pima County.

    • surely fat f-grijalva can do another term
      after looking at his district(from Tucson airport to UA downtown)
      in past 30 years he has accomplished NOTHING
      let me say it again
      N O T H I N G

  5. It is a reflection of how ill-informed or uninformed voters destroy democracy. They should have never reelected this man. They should have demanded his resignation and retirement for his sake and for the sake of adequate representation in Congress. His personal tragedy and feelings should be secondary to the interest of his constituents. He should step down immediately and apologize to his voters for not doing it sooner.

  6. And there it finally is! He is setting it up to retire soon after being re-elected in order to appoint Regina or Adelita to his seat.

    Holy hell I hope I’m wrong and he doesn’t get that far!

    • Of course he will. They are all getting into the inherited titles scheme. Typical Lib pattern nowadays.

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