Adelita Grijalva’s landslide special election victory was historic on its own. She will be Arizona’s first-ever Latina congresswoman, succeeding her late father, Raúl Grijalva. But what should have been a straightforward swearing-in is suddenly colliding with one of the most contentious issues in Congress: the fight to release the Jeffrey Epstein files.

According to MSNBC, Grijalva has already promised to be the 218th signature on a bipartisan discharge petition to compel the Justice Department to release the files. That single signature would trigger a process House Speaker Mike Johnson could not stop. With Republicans holding only a slim 219–214 majority, the timing of her arrival has become politically charged.

Why Republicans are dragging their feet

Under standard practice, the House can swear in new members as soon as state officials notify the clerk of an unofficial victory. Arizona’s Secretary of State has already sent that paperwork. In past cases, including Democrat James Walkinshaw’s recent win in Virginia, members have been sworn in without waiting weeks for state certification.

But GOP leaders have hinted at holding off. The Speaker’s office has said only that it will wait for the “appropriate paperwork.” Democrats argue that paperwork already exists. “This documentation has been sufficient to swear in multiple members of Congress,” a spokesperson for Democrats on the House Administration Committee told The Arizona Republic.

Grijalva herself suggested the motive is political. “I think that maybe it has to do with the fact that I am the 218th signer to push for a vote on the release of the Epstein files,” she told a local outlet.

Adelita Grijalva steps into her father’s seat with her own record

While this political fight unfolds, Grijalva’s victory also marks a generational moment. She will serve the final 15 months of her father’s term representing Arizona’s 7th District. The Associated Press reported she won with nearly 69 percent of the vote, expanding the margin her father secured in his last re-election.

In an interview with The 19th News, she reflected on the weight of the milestone: “It’s very humbling. It is a huge honor and a huge responsibility. I want people to see me in these positions and say, ‘If she can do it, I can do it’ and push for change in their own communities.”

Her path to Congress includes two decades on the Tucson Unified School District board, four years on the Pima County Board of Supervisors, and 26 years working at a local nonprofit. She also carried endorsements from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Bernie Sanders, Ruben Gallego, and Mark Kelly, according to Axios.

The fight over the Epstein files

The stakes go far beyond Arizona. The bipartisan discharge petition already has 217 signatures, including from Republicans Marjorie Taylor Greene, Nancy Mace, and Anna Paulina Luna. Grijalva’s signature would cross the threshold needed to force a floor vote.

Public support is overwhelming. A Washington Post/Schar School poll from July found that 86 percent of Americans back the full release of the Epstein files. With Trump’s Justice Department still holding back disclosure, pressure has mounted from across the aisle.

But until Adelita Grijalva takes the oath of office, the petition remains one signature short. And with the House on break until October 7, Republicans may try to buy time by keeping her out of the chamber.

What’s at stake in delaying Adelita Grijalva

For Arizona voters, this delay undermines an election decided by nearly 40 points. For Democrats, it’s a test of whether a routine swearing-in can be weaponized for political gain. And for survivors and advocates demanding transparency on Epstein, it’s a matter of accountability.

As her father’s legacy looms and her own begins, Adelita Grijalva now finds herself at the center of a fight that blends representation, power, and the secrets Congress has yet to confront.

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