Longtime Democratic Congressman Raúl M. Grijalva of Arizona passed away at the age of 77 from complications related to his cancer treatment. Grijalva had served in the House for over 20 years, being elected in 2002 and most recently serving as the chair of the Natural Resources Committee. He was known for his progressive leadership and commitment to environmental policies, often advocating for future generations. Grijalva was also co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus from 2009 to 2019.
Grijalva’s death marks the second House Democrat to die in office this month, following the sudden passing of Rep. Sylvester Turner of Texas on March 5. With Grijalva’s passing, the Republican majority in the House remains tight, with 218 Republican seats and 213 Democratic seats.
Before his political career, Grijalva was a community organizer in Tucson and later served on the Tucson Unified School District Governing Board and the Pima County Board of Supervisors. His staff described him as fearless in his leadership and urgent in his push for environmental action.
This is a developing story, and further updates will be provided. Nnamdi Egwuonwu and Scott Wong are reporters for NBC News, with contributions from Rebecca Kaplan.
Note: The image is for illustrative purposes only and is not the original image associated with the presented article. Due to copyright reasons, we are unable to use the original images. However, you can still enjoy the accurate and up-to-date content and information provided.
