Democrats push for Arizona rep.-elect to be sworn in

House speaker blames government shutdown for delay in seating Adelita Grijalva.

- BY MATT BROWN AND KEVIN FREKING

REP.-ELECT Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.), right, and Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.).

(GRAEME SLOAN Bloomberg)

Democrats are ramping up the pressure on House Speaker Mike Johnson to swear in Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva, an Arizona Democrat who won a special election last month to succeed her late father.

The delay has attracted mounting attention this week, with Johnson challenged by lawmakers, reporters and even C-SPAN viewers about why Grijalva hasn't been given the oath of office. Johnson has said repeatedly that she will be sworn in when the House returns to session. He blames the government shutdown for the delay.

Here’s a look at where the situation stands:

She is the daughter of Rep. Raul Grijalva, a staunch progressive who died in March. He served more than two decades in the House, rising to chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, where he helped shape the nation’s environmental policies.

Adelita Grijalva has been active in local politics, first serving at the school board level and subsequently on the Pima County Board of Supervisors, becoming just the second woman to serve as chair.

She easily won a special election Sept. 23 to serve out the remainder of her father's term. She will represent a mostly Latino district in which Democrats enjoy a nearly 2-1 ratio voter registration advantage over Republicans.

Grijalva was gracious to her soon-to-be Democratic colleagues as they welcomed her to the U.S. Capitol last month, even as she and her future staff were officially considered visitors to the building.