Grijalva had mentioned final yr he wouldn’t run for reelection in 2026 whereas receiving therapies for most cancers.
Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) died on March 13, forsaking a greater than 20-year legacy in Arizona’s congressional delegation.
“From completely defending the Grand Canyon for future generations to strengthening the Reasonably priced Care Act, his proudest moments in Congress have all the time been guided by neighborhood voices,” the assertion reads.
“[Girjalva’s push] for brand new public parks, childcare facilities, well being care clinics, native companies, and reasonably priced housing have breathed new life into neighborhoods throughout Southern Arizona. Enhancements to our roads, bridges, and streetcar system have improved our day by day lives and attracted new companies and industries to the world. ”
Grijalva, 77, was the rating member of the Home Pure Assets Committee after beforehand chairing it from 2019 to 2023. He was additionally the co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus for 10 years.
On Thursday, the Congressional Progressive Caucus honored Grijalva on the Home Democrats’ annual retreat in Leesburg, Virginia.
“Right this moment we mourn the lack of Congressman Grijalva, an enormous of the home and the progressive motion,” mentioned Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas), the present chair of the caucus.
“We’re going to deeply miss him. I do know the folks of Arizona are in mourning, and our ideas are actually together with his household.”
Casar mentioned that as a younger Latino in politics, there weren’t that many Latino progressives like Grijalva on the nationwide stage on the time, and he was proud to look as much as the congressman.
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), the earlier chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, recounted the time Grijalva handed the torch to her on the finish of his time period as co-chair of the caucus.
“He mentioned it’s so necessary that we’ve got someone who has been preventing within the motion already. And I mentioned, ‘Nicely, we’re simply following in your path, Raúl,’” she mentioned. “By no means needed to surprise the place consultant Grijalva was going to be in a crucial vote. He was all the time going to be within the place of the folks.”
Home Democrats misplaced one other member, Rep. Sylvester Turner (D-Texas), who died from well being points final week.
Grijalva, who was recognized for championing environmental causes, had mentioned in October 2024 that he wouldn’t run for reelection subsequent yr whereas receiving most cancers therapies.
Home Minority Chief Hakeem Jeffries mentioned that Congress and the nation had “misplaced an enormous” following Grijalva’s loss of life.
“Congressman Grijalva represented his neighborhood fiercely, maintaining his constituents and the local weather on the heart of all the things he did,” Jeffries mentioned in a press release.
The Related Press contributed to this report.