The state of Arizona filed a lawsuit on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, against the Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives, accusing Speaker Mike Johnson of unlawfully delaying the swearing-in of Democratic Representative-elect Adelita Grijalva.
Grijalva, 54, won a special election last month to replace her late father, Representative Raul Grijalva, who died in March. Despite her victory, Speaker Johnson has postponed her swearing-in, stating it will take place only when the House reconvenes. The chamber, however, has been out of session for over a month as Johnson insists lawmakers will not return until the Senate passes a bill to end the ongoing government shutdown.
“This case is about whether someone duly elected to the House, who indisputably meets the constitutional qualifications of the office, may be denied her rightful office simply because the Speaker has decided to keep the House out of ‘regular session,’” Arizona Attorney General Kristin Mayes argued in the lawsuit.
Mayes contends that the U.S. Constitution provides no authority for the Speaker to “thwart the people’s choice” and deny a district its elected representation for an extended period. The suit seeks a court order declaring Grijalva a member of Congress once she has taken the oath of office, which, if Johnson refuses, could be administered by another authorized official.
Johnson dismissed the lawsuit as “patently absurd.”
“We run the House. She has no jurisdiction,” he told reporters Tuesday. “We’re following the precedent. She’s looking for national publicity. Apparently, she’s gotten some of it, but good luck with that.”
Currently, the House comprises 219 Republicans and 213 Democrats, with three vacant seats. Once Grijalva is sworn in, the balance would shift to 219 Republicans and 214 Democrats, leaving two vacancies.
Grijalva has pledged to support a discharge petition that would force a vote on a bill requiring the release of all unclassified government records related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, held by the Trump administration.
Arizona’s lawsuit claims Johnson’s delay is a deliberate effort to prevent Grijalva from signing the petition, which most House Republicans oppose.
“Speaker Johnson cannot continue to disenfranchise an entire district and suppress their representation to shield this administration from accountability and block justice for the Epstein survivors,” Grijalva said in a statement.
