Democrats just picked up another seat in the closely divided Congress after winning a special election in Arizona. Although the victory is not enough to shift control of the House of Representatives away from Republicans, it does give Democrats and a few Republican allies the votes necessary to move forward on releasing information related to Jeffrey Epstein.
Progressive Democrat wins her late father’s seat in Arizona
Democrat Adelita Grijalva handily defeated Republican Daniel Butierez in Tuesday’s special election to represent Arizona’s 7th Congressional District in the House, taking the seat vacated by her late father, Rep. Raúl Grijalva, who passed away in March. Her win makes her the representative for a district that covers portions of Tucson and most of Arizona’s border with Mexico. Grijalva’s win narrows the GOP majority in the House to 219-214, leaving Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Republicans in control of the chamber but opening up an opportunity to overcome GOP opposition to release the Epstein files.
The victory sets up Grijalva to carry on the legacy of her father, a progressive who championed environmental issues. Grijalva, who was endorsed by progressives such as Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, notes that she has “developed a reputation for bringing people together to address the biggest issues facing Southern Arizona, including affordable housing, environmental protection and climate resiliency, and healthy and safe communities.”
Forcing a House vote on releasing the Epstein files
Grijalva will now add to a push in the House to release files related to deceased financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Although the timing of such a vote is unclear, Grijalva could be sworn in as early as Oct. 7, which could lead to a vote to discharge the Epstein bill later that month. House Democrats have united around forcing the release of the Epstein files. A Democratic motion in the Senate to force the release of the files narrowly failed earlier this month. President Donald Trump, who enjoyed a years-long friendship with Epstein but had a falling out with him prior to Epstein being charged with sex crimes, has opposed efforts to release more information about the case, calling it a “Democrat hoax.”
However, some Republicans have broken ranks with the GOP, and four House Republicans have publicly supported the motion to force a vote on the files through a discharge petition, a process by which members of the House can force a vote even over the objection of the Speaker. These four Republican representatives — Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Nancy Mace of South Carolina and Lauren Boebert of Colorado — and the entire Democratic House delegation, including Grijalva, will have just enough votes to pass a discharge petition.
While Republicans have largely been able to push their agenda since gaining control of Congress and the White House, the Epstein controversy has created cracks in conservative solidarity in Washington and around the country. Now, the victory of Representative-elect Grijalva not only adds another progressive voice to Congress but also provides Democrats and a few Republicans with the support needed to push forward public disclosure of the Epstein files despite Trump’s opposition.