No one expected her to lose, but you never know what fuckery Republicans will try to pull. Via The Associated Press:
PHOENIX (AP) — Southern Arizona voters on Tuesday chose Adelita Grijalva to succeed her father, the late U.S. Rep. Raúl Grijalva, a progressive Democrat who represented the state for more than two decades in Congress.
She defeated Republican candidate Daniel Butierez in the 7th Congressional District, which hugs almost the entire length of Arizona’s border with Mexico. The decisive win — early returns showed Grijalva with more than double the number of votes as her Republican opponent — will make Grijalva the first Latina to represent Arizona in Congress.
The seat was one of two remaining vacancies in blue districts that Democrats needed to hold to avoid losing more ground to Republicans in the U.S. House. Grijalva thanked voters late Tuesday on social media, saying they made history together. “Now, let’s get to work.”
Grijalva retired from the Pima County Board of Supervisors and launched her bid for Congress shortly after her father’s death in March. She said Tuesday he was the inspiration for her time in public service and a unifying figure among environmentalists, reproductive and immigrant rights advocates, and LGBTQ+ organizers who were seeking justice and equality.
Her win helps the effort in Congress to pass a bill forcing Trump's DOJ to release the Epstein files. Daily Kos reports:
“We are hearing from voters that they believe the survivors deserve justice, and Congress must fulfill its duty to check the executive branch and hold Trump accountable,” Grijalva told CNN.
Massie says that a vote could come as early as mid-October, calling the Arizona race the catalyst for reaching 218 signatures. Once Grijalva is sworn in and signs on, there will be a seven-day waiting period before the bill can be forced to the floor. House leaders then have two legislative days to take action.
House Republicans have spent months trying to avoid this moment, with Johnson even adjourning the chamber a day early in July to block votes on the issue.
