Arizona Democratic Representative Raul Grijalva has passed away at the age of 77, his congressional office confirmed on Thursday.
Grijalva passed away Thursday morning from complications related to cancer treatment, his office confirmed.
“Rep. Grijalva’s kind and humble nature was known to many,” the statement from his office said. “He was approachable by all because he believed people should be treated as equals. He loved to give gifts, blare music in his office, and get to know people for who they are.”
In April 2024, he revealed his cancer diagnosis and began treatment, calling it a “difficult to process” moment.
Grijalva was first elected to the US House of Representatives in 2002 and held key roles on the House Natural Resources Committee, including chair and ranking member. Throughout his time in Congress, he was a strong advocate for environmental issues.
He also served as chair emeritus of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and was a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
Grijalva represented a strongly Democratic district in southern Arizona near the US-Mexico border. In November, he secured his twelfth term in the House of Representatives, winning by over 25 percentage points against his Republican opponent.
A special election will be required to fill the vacant seat.
This comes after House Democrats faced another loss last week with the passing of Texas Rep. Sylvester Turner, a former Houston mayor, at the age of 70.
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries described Grijalva’s passing as a tremendous loss, stating that both Congress and the nation had “lost a giant.”