Raúl M. Grijalva
Democrat Representative of Arizona's 7th district
Representative
Arizona, district 7
January 7, 2003 - January 3, 2005
Representative
Arizona, district 7
January 4, 2005 - January 3, 2007
Representative
Arizona, district 7
January 4, 2007 - January 3, 2009
Representative
Arizona, district 7
January 6, 2009 - January 3, 2011
Representative
Arizona, district 7
January 5, 2011 - January 3, 2013
Representative
Arizona, district 3
January 3, 2013 - January 3, 2015
Representative
Arizona, district 3
January 6, 2015 - January 3, 2017
Representative
Arizona, district 3
January 3, 2017 - January 3, 2019
Representative
Arizona, district 3
January 3, 2019 - January 3, 2021
Representative
Arizona, district 3
January 3, 2021 - January 3, 2023
Representative
Arizona, district 7
January 3, 2023 - January 3, 2025
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.