TUCSON, Ariz. (Diya TV) — Democrat Adelita Grijalva has won a special election in Arizona’s 7th Congressional District, CNN projects. Her victory may deliver the decisive vote in the push for Congress to release case files involving Jeffrey Epstein.
The seat was left vacant after longtime Democratic Rep. Raul Grijalva died of cancer in March. His daughter, Adelita Grijalva, entered the race as the clear favorite. She defeated Republican Daniel Butierez, who had also run against her father in 2024 but lost that race by 26 points.
Arizona’s 7th District is a solid Democratic stronghold. The district stretches along the U.S.-Mexico border and includes parts of Tucson and Phoenix. Voters backed former Vice President Kamala Harris by more than 22 points in November.
Grijalva’s victory brings Democrats one step closer to a controversial vote. A bipartisan discharge petition in the House seeks to force a floor vote to release Epstein’s files. The petition needs 218 signatures. Lawmakers had secured 217 earlier this month after Democrat James Walkinshaw of Virginia joined Congress and signed on.
Both Grijalva and Butierez said before the election that they would support the petition if elected. In a statement to CNN, Grijalva said voters raised the issue often during her campaign.
“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,” she said.
The petition has been led by Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California. Massie told CNN he expects the House could vote as soon as mid-October. He called the Arizona special election the catalyst for reaching the needed 218 signatures.
Once Grijalva is sworn in, House rules require Massie to wait at least seven legislative days before forcing a vote. House leaders can also delay the process by two more legislative days. With Congress out of session this week, the clock has not yet started.
House Republican leaders have tried to block the measure for months. Speaker Mike Johnson adjourned the House a day early in July before the summer recess to avoid any votes tied to the Epstein files.
Discharge petitions rarely succeed because members of the majority party hesitate to defy leadership. Still, the Epstein issue has drawn support from both parties. Trump allies like Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Lauren Boebert of Colorado, and Nancy Mace of South Carolina have already signed on.
While some Republicans have joined the petition, many others back only the underlying bill. Even if the House passes the measure, it would face tough odds in the Senate.
Once the Arizona seat is filled, two vacancies will remain in the House. Texas Democratic Rep. Sylvester Turner died in March, and Tennessee Republican Rep. Mark Green resigned in July. Turner’s seat will be decided in a November primary, while Green’s seat goes to voters in December.
For now, Johnson’s majority stands at 219-213. That slim margin means he can lose only two Republicans on party-line votes if every member is present.
