Longtime U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva, a Democrat from Arizona, has died. He was 77.

His office announced Grijalva died on Thursday morning due to complications from cancer treatment.

“Rep. Grijalva fought a long and brave battle,” according to a statement from his office.

Grijalva served in the U.S. House of Representatives as a voice for southern Arizona voters for more than 20 years. He served Arizona's Seventh Congressional District from 2023 to 2025 and Arizona's Third congressional district from 2003 to 2023.

The district included Avondale, Tolleson and portions of the West Valley.

“Rep. Grijalva dedicated his life to advancing equity and justice, championing policies that uplifted countless communities across the nation,” according to Voto Latino. “His impact will be felt for generations, inspiring future leaders to continue the fight for a fairer and more inclusive society.”

Born in Tucson in 1948, Grijalva was the son of a Mexican immigrant who entered the U.S. in 1945.

He began his career as a political organizer in the in the early-1970s and was elected to the Tucson Unified School District in 1974. He served on the Pima County Board of Supervisors from 1989 to 2002 when he was elected to the House.

“Despite a nine-candidate primary and the challenge of being outspent three-to-one by his closest competitor, Raúl was elected with a 20-point victory, thanks to a diverse coalition of supporters that led the largest volunteer-driven election effort in Arizona,” the statement from his office continued.

Grijalva supported affordable health care, abortion rights, gun control, immigration reform and, most especially, environmental protections.

In a statement, the Environmental Defense Fund described Grijalva as “a champion for the climate and environmental justice.”

That sentiment was shared by the National Wildlife Federation.

“Chairman Grijalva was the conscience of the conservation movement and a dear friend,” Collin O’Mara, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation, stated in a press release. “He had a clear vision for building a conservation movement that included everyone, and he worked tirelessly to ensure that all communities had the opportunity to have their voices heard in the halls of Congress.”

At the time of his death, Grijalva was serving as a ranking member of the House Natural Resources Committee and a standing member of the Education and Labor Committee. He was also the chair emeritus of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and a long-standing member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

He was a vocal opponent of President Donald Trump. In January, Grijalva launched “Know Your Rights” resources “following Trump’s series of immigration-related executive orders and actions. These materials are meant to ensure that immigrants and their families are fully aware of the rights they are afforded under United States laws,” his office stated.

Grijalva was at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, to certify the 2020 presidential electoral college votes when Trump-supporting insurrectionists intent on overthrowing the government attacked.

In a statement after the attack, Grijalva condemned the uprising.

“Today’s events will go down as one of the darkest and most shameful days of our republic as domestic terrorists stormed the Capitol in an effort to threaten and intimidate lawmakers into overturning our free and fair elections,” he stated. “What occurred at the Capitol today was the product of Trump and all the havoc he’s wrought on our system — all with the tacit approval of his willing congressional enablers.”

On March 6, Grijalva called the Trump Administration’s plan to fire thousands of Department of Veterans Affairs employees “a reckless and shortsighted move that will hurt the very veterans it is supposed to help.”

Grijalva’s tenure was not without personal controversies.

In 2019, Politico reported the House Ethics Committee was looking into allegations that Grijalva created a hostile workplace. Four years earlier, the Natural Resources Committee paid more than $48,000 to “settle a complaint by a former female staffer over a hostile work environment linked to Grijalva’s alcohol use,” Politico reported.

Grijalva denied having a drinking problem or drinking on the job.