Adelita Grijalva

Adelita Shirley Grijalva is a Democratic politician serving as the U.S. Representative for Arizona's 7th Congressional District. A native of Tucson, she was first elected to the seat in a special election on September 23, 2025, to succeed her father, the late Representative Raúl Grijalva, and was sworn in on November 12, 2025. Before joining Congress, she served as a member and Chair of the Pima County Board of Supervisors (2021–2025) and spent twenty years on the Tucson Unified School District Governing Board. Grijalva graduated from the University of Arizona in 1995 with a Bachelor of Arts in political science. For over 25 years, she directed the Pima County Teen Court, a restorative justice program for youth that emphasizes rehabilitation over punishment. Her public service career has been marked by advocacy for public education, environmental conservation in the Sonoran Desert, and expanding access to affordable housing. She is the first Latina to represent Arizona in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Grijalva maintains a progressive policy platform, including support for a single-payer Medicare for All healthcare system and universal preschool. Her environmental priorities include protecting public lands, supporting water resiliency, and opposing the reduction of national monuments like Bears Ears. On immigration, she advocates for comprehensive reform and 'immigrant justice,' drawing on her family heritage as the granddaughter of a bracero. She also supports strict gun safety measures, such as universal background checks and the right of local governments to regulate firearms, and has voted for War Powers resolutions to limit presidential authority in foreign military engagements.