Adelita Grijalva was elected to Arizona's 7th Congressional District on September 23, 2025, winning a special election to succeed her late father, Rep. Raúl Grijalva.
Despite her decisive victory (69% of the vote), Speaker Mike Johnson has refused to swear her in, citing the government shutdown. However, precedent shows that Johnson swore in three other Republicans within 24 hours of their special election victories earlier in 2025.
Democrats allege the delay is intentional - Grijalva would be the 218th signature needed to force a vote on releasing the Jeffrey Epstein files, a petition that has bipartisan support but would embarrass the Trump administration.
Until she's sworn in, Arizona's 7th District has no representation in Congress during a critical government shutdown.