Raúl M. Grijalva

Democrat Representative of Arizona's 7th district

  • Representative

    Arizona, district 7

    January 3, 2023 - January 3, 2025

202-225-2435

@RepRaulGrijalva

grijalva.house.gov

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11

Congresses Served

11

House Terms

February 19, 1948 (76 years old)

Birthday

  • Served as the United States representative for Arizona’s 7th congressional district from 2023 to the present and Arizona’s 3rd congressional district from 2003 to 2023.
  • Dean of Arizona’s congressional delegation.
  • Born to a migrant worker from Mexico; grew up on a ranch south of Tucson.
  • Graduated with a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Arizona.
  • Was a leader of the Raza Unida Party and later cultivated a less radical image.
  • Elected to the Tucson Unified School District board in 1974 and served until 1986.
  • Worked in various community and educational roles, including as director of the El Pueblo Neighborhood Center and Assistant Dean for Hispanic Student Affairs at the University of Arizona.
  • Served on the Pima County Board of Supervisors from 1989 to 2002, including as chair from 2000 to 2002.
  • Settled a complaint in 2015 accusing him of creating a hostile workplace environment; the settlement was paid from House funds.
  • Received an “A” grade from the Lugar Center’s Congressional Oversight Hearing Index for his tenure as chair of the House Natural Resources Committee in the 116th Congress.
  • Was present at the U.S. Capitol during the January 6, 2021, attack and supported impeaching President Trump a second time.
  • Voted in support of the American Rescue Plan and advocated for a $15 federal minimum wage increase.
  • Has a 100% voting alignment with President Joe Biden’s stated position according to a FiveThirtyEight analysis in the 117th Congress.
  • Served on the Committee on Education and the Workforce and the Committee on Natural Resources, among others.
  • Member of several caucuses, including the Congressional Progressive Caucus and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
  • Advocated for mining law reform, environmental causes, and opposed Arizona’s SB 1070 law.
  • Criticized the deployment of National Guard troops to the U.S.–Mexico border and supported withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan and Iraq.
  • Has a pro-choice voting record and opposed the 2022 overturning of Roe v. Wade.
  • Took a leading role in shaping Congressional Progressive Caucus “alternative budgets.”
  • Criticized federal oversight of the oil drilling industry and introduced legislation related to oil company liability for environmental cleanups.
  • Sponsored education bills and has ties to the educational community.
  • Opposed military intervention in Libya without congressional authorization and criticized Holocaust distortion.
  • Sent letters to institutions employing climate change skeptics requesting information on funding from fossil fuel companies.
  • Supports increasing restrictions on gun purchase and possession.
  • Was a prominent supporter of a public option during the debate over the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
  • Supports the DREAM Act and comprehensive immigration reform.
  • Criticized armed civilian groups patrolling the Mexican border.
  • Voted to support Israel following the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.
  • Supports sovereignty and government-to-government relationships with Native American tribes.
  • Called for a boycott of Arizona following the passage of SB 1070, later withdrawing the call after a federal judge’s injunction.
  • Objected to electoral votes in the 2004 and 2016 presidential elections due to concerns about voting irregularities.
  • Called the shooting of Gabby Giffords a consequence of violent rhetoric used by Tea Party members.
  • Traveled to Puerto Rico in 2023 to discuss statehood and energy issues.
  • Endorsed Bernie Sanders for president in the 2016 Democratic primary.
  • Diagnosed with unspecified cancer in 2024, beginning treatment.