Arizona’s attorney general has filed a lawsuit to make Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson swear in Adelita Grijalva, a Democrat who won a special congressional election in September.
Grijalva was elected on 23 September to the district once held by her father, Raúl Grijalva, who passed away earlier this year. She expected to start work in early October, but Johnson has not scheduled her swearing-in.
Democratic Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes had warned she would take legal action if Johnson delayed the process. On 14 October, she sent a letter demanding the swearing-in within two days, but Johnson did not respond.
Mayes said the delay denies residents of Arizona’s seventh congressional district proper representation. “By blocking Adelita Grijalva from taking her rightful oath of office, [Johnson] is subjecting Arizona voters to taxation without representation,” she said.
Johnson has argued that Grijalva will be seated once the government reopens. But the current shutdown, now the second-longest in U.S. history, has no clear end in sight. The deadlock between Democrats and Republicans means Grijalva remains unable to officially start her congressional duties.
Grijalva, who has decades of experience in local Arizona offices, described the challenges she faces while waiting. She cannot access a government email, print documents, or use official computers without special access. She also lacks the budget needed for simple tasks like sending flags to constituents.
In a video on 16 October, Grijalva walked through her Capitol office and explained her situation. “Yes, I have access to an office,” she said. “But it’s kind of like someone saying: here’s a car, and it doesn’t have an engine, gas, or tires.”
Grijalva believes Johnson’s delay may be linked to her plans to push for the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files. While her presence does not give Democrats a House majority, it could provide the crucial 218th signature for a discharge petition, which currently has 217 signatures. She said she is ready to sign it.
“This is an unlawful breach of our constitution and the democratic process,” Grijalva said. “Johnson cannot continue to disenfranchise an entire district and block justice for Epstein survivors.”
She is urging supporters to sign a petition demanding her swearing-in. “The voters in southern Arizona elected Adelita Grijalva to Congress,” the petition says. “But Republicans are delaying her swearing-in, blocking her from becoming the decisive 218th signature to force a vote on releasing the Epstein files.”
Arizona’s Democratic senators, Ruben Gallego and Mark Kelly, have tried to pressure Johnson to seat Grijalva. They confronted him earlier this month and asked why she was not allowed to take office. Johnson blamed the government shutdown and dismissed suggestions that the Epstein files influenced his decision, calling them “totally absurd.”
In a recent TV interview, Johnson described the issue as a “farce” and blamed Democrats for the shutdown. He added that Grijalva can still perform her duties and access her office even without a formal swearing-in.
The lawsuit marks a major legal and political clash as Democrats push to ensure Grijalva can officially take her seat. With the shutdown showing no immediate signs of ending, the case may set a precedent for handling disputed swearing-ins in the U.S. House of Representatives.