Longtime Democratic Rep. Raul Grijalva has died at 77 after a “long brave battle” with lung cancer, his office announced in a statement Thursday.
“He passed away this morning due to complications of his cancer treatments,” his office said in a statement.
Mr. Grijalva was the longest-serving member of Arizona’s congressional delegation, having logged a 22-year career in Washington. The lawmaker won a 12th term in November, which he said during the race would be his last.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, New York Democrat, called Mr. Grijalva a leader and mentor through his various roles in the House Democratic Caucus, including his years as chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.
“Today, the Congress, Caucus and country lost a giant with the passing of Congressman Raúl Grijalva,” he said in a statement. “Through his decades of public service as a community organizer, School Board Member, County Supervisor, Member of Congress and Committee Chairman, Raúl was a progressive warrior who always fought for the least, the lost and the left behind.”
Rep. Greg Casar, Texas Democrat and recently elected chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said during a press conference at the House Democrats’ policy retreat in Virginia that Mr. Grijalva was a “real giant” of the progressive movement in Congress.
“Really as a young Latino in politics, there were not that many Latino progressives with a real national profile to look up to,” Mr. Casar said. “He was just somebody that I was so proud to just be able to call somebody that I looked up to and was able to serve with far too briefly.”
Mr. Grijalva was first diagnosed with lung cancer last April after he sought medical treatment for a persistent cough that was initially diagnosed as pneumonia. At the time, he said that the cancer diagnosis had been “difficult to process.”
Mr. Grijalva announced in July that he had completed treatment.
At the time of his diagnosis, Mr. Grijalva was the top-ranking Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee, a position he held and had hoped to retain going into the 119th Congress.
“Rep. Grijalva’s passion was not only for his community, but for preservation of the planet. When coming to Congress he was determined to serve on the Natural Resources Committee,” his office said. “He was steadfast in his commitment to produce lasting change through environmental policies — as he would say, ‘it’s for the babies.’”
However, he ultimately stepped aside after his Democratic colleagues grumbled about his extended absences from Washington. Rep. Jared Huffman, California Democrat, eventually succeeded him on the committee.
Since the cancer diagnosis, he was often absent from the Capitol while undergoing treatment, and had missed every vote since the start of this session of Congress in January.
Mr. Grijalva is the second House Democrat to die this month. Rep. Sylvester Turner of Texas died on March 5 hours after attending President Trump’s joint address to Congress.
Their deaths will have an immediate impact on the math in the House.
Republicans control 218 seats to the 213 the Democrats now have. That new balance of power boosts the House GOP’s margin of error to two votes, and gives House Speaker Mike Johnson, Louisiana Republican, a little more breathing room.
